Political parties and Peoples’s organizations (CPIML Liberation, Swaraj India, Adivasi Sangharsh Morcha, Young Bengal, AICCTU, All India Kisan Mahasabha, Jai Kisan Andolan, Deocha-Pachami Bhumi Raksha Committee, AIPWA, AIARLA, Birbhum Got Gawta, AISA, RYA,  Uthnao, Santar Mahal Marangburu Samiti etc.) and individuals demanding withdrawal of the Deocha-Panchami coal mine project in Birbhum, West Bengal, issued a joint statement from the Press Conference at the Calcutta Press Club on January 3, 2021. Signatories including Partha Ghosh and Abhijit Majumdar  (CPIML Liberation), Avik Saha (Swaraj India), Prasenjit Bose (Young Bengal), Sagun Hembram (Adivasi Adhikar O Vikas Mancha), Kumar Rana (Noted researcher and sociologist) have appealed all democratic and progressive forces to oppose eviction of adivasis and all local inhabitants for a coal project which will severely aggravate global warming and climate crisis and called for resistance against intimidation and state repression to forcefully implement the project.

Hundreds of activists from these organizations marched from Suri bus stand to Birbhum District Magistrate’s office and submitted a memorandum to the DM on January 6, 2022. The major demands were:

1. The government should immediately withdraw the cases from the protesting villagers of Dewanganj.
2. What steps have been taken in accordance with the Land acquisition Act 2013 should be made public.
3. The issue of environment and climate crisis must be dealt sensitively.
4. Curbing rights of SC-ST and minorities in the name of coal project should immediately be stopped.
5. It was also demanded that considering all perspectives this disastrous project must be withdrawn.

In the meeting with the delegation, the DM said that the Land Acquisition and Rehabilitation Act 2013 is not applicable to the project because the government is not acquiring but buying the land. But if the Government is just buying the land from the owners then why is the Government talking about rehabilitation package? If the issue is merely the sale and purchase of land, then why the villagers are being persecuted? Why the environment of fear is being created? There was no answer to this. However, the DM admitted the incident of police brutality against the villagers and termed it as "undesired". But then why the cases are not being withdrawn from the villagers? There was again no reply from DM. The DM said that most of the families in the first phase of the project have already agreed and signed document to give their land. But when asked that how many people have signed the dissent letter, he said that there is no such form. Then what will happen to those who do not want to sell land to the government?

It is evident that the government is continuing this process by keeping the people of the area in complete darkness and forcefully manufacturing ‘consent’ and just like Singur, the narrative of ‘willing farmers’ has been brought up. Speakers at the protest demonstration in front of DM office said that if the government doesn’t act carefully, the consequences will be the same as in Singur. Rudra Prabhakar Das, AISA president of Jadavpur University, called for all dalits and tribals in the state to unite and stand against the anti people project.

After the memorandum was given, on the day of January 6 itself, the DM rushed to Dewangunj and met the local people. This was his first visit to the area in an attempt to talk to the people. The next day, January 7, a 21 member delegation team from the organizations went to the project area and especially talked to the people of Dewangunj. The villagers outrightly denied the DM’s claim that most of the people had agreed to give the land. Tribal population of Dewangunj expressed their anger against the administration and said that the district administration was cheating them. They also said that the DM suddenly came on the afternoon of the 6th without giving any advance notice and left saying his own words, not allowing the local people to express their opinion. The delegation spoke to many people from three villages in the project area and everyone has repeatedly said that they do not want coal mines, and will not give their land.

CPIML Liberation State Secretary Com. Abhijit Majumder condemned the DM’s remarks published in the newspaper as he said the delegation team had gone to provoke the locals. Com. Majumder said the DM has no right to say so, as any political party or individual has the right to stand by the people of the area, listen to them and raise their voice.