BY DIBYAJYOTI CHAUDHURI SINGUR Led by Trinamul Congress chief Mamata Banerjee, thousands of people on Sunday laid an indefinite siege of the Tata Motos' Nano project site at Singur in Hooghly. Twenty-one dharna platforms were erected along the boundary wall of the factory for what Ms Banerjee described as a "peaceful satyagraha'. Belying apprehensions, there was no incident of vandalism or violence although thousands of angry protesters converged on the site. The exemplary restraint demonstrated by the police also averted a confrontation. "We want the Nano factory to come up and we do not want Tata to go away from West Bengal. But it should not at the cost of the farmers' lives. It cannot be allowed that they will stay and others will perish,' Ms Banerjee said. "The Tatas have clearly stated in their letter to me that 650 acres of land is enough for their project. The government is now changing its stance and saying that 400 acres of land cannot be returned,' she alleged. Flanked by Samajwadi Party leader Amar Singh, Pragatshil Indira Congress leader Somen Mitra and social activist Medha Patekar, it was evident that Ms Banerjee was not alone in her fight. "Ms Banerjee has emerged as a national icon of the farmer's agitation. The Left Front has misinformed people about the project. They should remember the Tatas will not vote for them, but common people will. It has already been proved in the panchayat elections,' Mr Amar Singh said. He also invited Ms Banerjee to take part in the fight against land acquisition in Uttar Pradesh. Somen Mitra alleged that the CPI(M) was trying to sabotage the movement of the Save Farmland Committee. "CPI(M) is conspiring against us, but that is not going to work. Even now, the government has not clarified about its agreement with the Tatas,' Mr Mitra said. Medha Patekar said that Ms Banerjee's proposal to the state government was a feasible one to end the stalemate. "Forcibly taking away the farmers' land was unconstitutional and an act of human rights violation. It is the chief minister's shame if he thinks that no more industrialisation will take place in his state with just one company threatening to go away,' Ms Patekar said. Meanwhile, a police complaint has been lodged alleging that security personnel working at the Tata project were threatened at Baidyabati on Saturday night.