Man who fought Singur war still homeless

KOLKATA: Anwar Ali (31) has been homeless for last eight years. He, along with his family members, were allegedly evicted from their house at Battikal First Lane on November 2, 2005, during the Left regime by some goons backed by the ruling CPM.
Even after the change in power in 2011, there has been no change in the fate of Anwar. He remains homeless and roams from one place to another for shelter and food, so do his brothers.
But Ali is not exactly a commoner. He was one of the co-warriors in the anti-land acquisition movement at Nandigram and Singur, along with Mamata Banerjee, Medha Patkar, Anurdha Talwar, Atmaram Sarogi, Sunanda Sanyal, Kabir Suman and Meher Engineer. Mamata knows him "well", so is her ministerial colleague Partha Chatterjee, who then as the leader of the opposition wrote a letter to the governor for "appropriate steps." "But when they came to power, they did nothing to rehabilitate me," said Anwar.
The problem began in 2002, when an illegal construction was started next to their two-storied house encroaching upon the entrance and their strip of land. Anwar lodged a complaint both with the police and municipal corporation. The illegal construction was being reportedly carried out by a person closed to the then CPM borough chairman.
Mohammed Iqbal, alias Munna, the Trinamool leader accused in the murder of sub-inspector Tapas Chowdhury, was with CPM then. A closed henchman of the CPM borough chairman Iqbal Hossain Gazi, he allegedly set fire on Anwar's home and beat up their family members in 2005. Ever since, Anwar has become homeless.
"I went from pillar to post but got no relief. My mother started living in a slum. The CPM was then so strong in the port area that received only negative answer from police, corporation.
I decided to fight back till a change happens. swore myself that I must work hard to change that tyrannical regime of the CPM.
I used to support the movement led by Medha Patkar. When she came to Bengal to launch Singur-Nandigram anti-land acquisition movement, I joined her. Later, Mamata Banerjee joined this movement. I saved Medha from the CPM supporters at Nandigram several times and Mamata Banerjee knows this well." also knew me well during those turbulent days."
The political fate of the state changed in 2011 much to the desire of Anwar. "I felt it was my government. Right from the chief minister to his ministerial colleagues to intellectuals," Anwar recollected. But he had no inkling that opportunists and power-brokers crossed the fence faster. As Anwar was busy celebrating the change in power, his tormentors had already changed their camps. By the time Anwar started approaching the administration, everything got managed against him at the political level.
So my plight remained permanent. All my appeals and efforts to return to my own house got stonewalled. By the time, my mother died. Despite being citizens of independent India, we could not vote for last five years. My mother's letter to the state human rights commission was delivered to the Chief Election Commissioner by Anruradha Talwat herself, without any result.
For Anwar, Trinamool MP Kabir Suman and educationist Sunanda Sanyal, who was close to the Trinamool camp then, fought an abortive fight. "I contacted so many Trinamool leaders, including the MLA from the port area Firhad Hakim. But nothing happened. I felt absolutely helpless for Anwar," said Sanyal, who treats Anwar as his own son. Sanyal is hurt that Anwar has remains "a fugitive without committing any crime." Kabir Suman still gives him courage by asking him to have patience.