Despite this change of heart, prompted by a failed attempt to set up industry here, the chief minister’s party is yet to break the ice with Nandigram, as testy emotions continue to ride high.

As Bhattacharjee handed over pattas or title deeds to villagers in one village, another part of the area near Kendamari saw villagers digging up approach roads in a symbolic gesture of protest.

On Tuesday, the chief minister distributed deeds to five families and was cheered on by a 1000-odd crowd. For the first time in Left rule, a much-hyped rally by the state’s chief minister has been so sparsely populated.

His speech was almost apologetic: “Today, I have come to give you land, not to take it from you. Under no circumstances shall we acquire land in Nandigram. I appeal to both the CPM and the Trinamool to shun violence and adopt development.”

As soon as the two-hour function was over, Nandigram’s Block Development Officer Shantiram Garai was seen rushing off to Kendamari, along with a strong police force, to repair the roads that had been dug up last night by supporters of the Bhumi Uchched Pratirodh Committee (BUPC).

But the people are not buying Bhattacharjee’s largesse. Kendamari’s BUPC supporter Santosh Maity, once a CPM loyalist said, “He is two faced. Has he given in writing that he won’t take our land? Most BUPC men were CPM sympathisers. But we won’t part with our land.”

Another resident of Kendamari Rabeya Bibi said they would continue to dig up roads to stop CPI(M) cadres from entering their villages. She said, “Yesterday, following the violence in Chowringhee Bazar which left four BUPC men injured, a truckload of policemen arrived and threatened to harm our girls if we retaliated. The CPI(M) continues to fuel violence.”

Shaikh Noor Hussain said CPI(M) men had called them to attend Tuesday’s rally. “They also campaigned in our villages. But we ignored the chief minister,” he said.

The chief minister, however, warned that Maoists were still trying to sneak into Nandigram and foment trouble. “All political parties will ultimately embrace peace except the Maoists. They are receiving training in arms at Jhargram, Ghatshila and Jharkhand. They are killers. Don’t let them come here,” Bhattacharjee said.