Wednesday, September 3, 2008

The Singur Impasse

When Ratan Tata announced his ambitious plan to launch the World’s cheapest car little did he know that the site of Nano’s production will prove to be his nemesis. Call it a dangerous trend or a blind struggle against Industrialization the loss is imminent both ways.
Of late it has been observed that political parties have taken their rivalry to an unprecedented level which is threatening the growth story of India Inc. Land acquisitions have become a problem for many state governments in our country. Making it issue political parties are playing their cards and hammering blows at each other.

Coming to West Bengal, it can easily be understood that the Communist Government is trying to shade its traditional anti Industrialization image and pushing for industry oriented reforms. Firstly to make such a shift in policy without taking the farmers into confidence is the biggest mistake they have done. The same government, which was prepared to do anything for poor farmers, is trying to take their lands today. Yes these farmers are offered compensation but who is going to make them understand this shift in policy? For the poor farmer it is suddenly becoming gloomy and they are almost shocked to see their old friend leaving them. At this juncture Mamata Banerjee enters as the messiah and she is trying to bank upon these sentiments. Had the government taken these farmers into confidence and made them understand the reason behind acquiring the land and shown them the larger picture in future, this situation would have never taken place.

The role of Mamata Banerjee is nothing less than an opportunist politician who took this situation as her springboard to political success. Victory at Panchayat Election made her even more sure and now she is not looking back. Like every other time the problem with her is this over enthusiasm for an issue and this time she has not understood the balance between protest and unpopularity. She has extended her ‘DHARNA MANCHA’ beyond the tolerance of the masses and now she is turning rapidly into public enemy number No 1. Elections are not won by votes in one pocket; they are won by winning across the voting polity. Mamata has failed to understand that. Her stand is increasingly looking like Anti-Industrialization even though she is making a genuine effort for the poorest of the poor.
Amidst all this the Centre has played yet another dismal role in not mediating in this issue. Nano after all is a project of national importance. At this moment it should not have thought about the issue as an internal one of a Communist Ruled state.

As a common person and a native of West Bengal I would like to see a speedy solution to this problem and for once I would request the political parties to come out with a solution.

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