Big issue for Small car in West Bengal

It’s been long ... and I was out of blogging. But it’s a sudden freak of thought like a thunderbolt that I decided to keep it updated... read on

It was Tata's Nano launch that I wrote and it was Mr. Ratan Tata's promise to make the cheapest car in the world hit the road by November 2008...and being a strong Kolkatan felt proud that this world's popular auto project will be associated with Kolkata, to be precise with Singur.

Yes, it is in Singur, 40 kms from Kolkata that Tatas have invested worth Rs 1500 cr to build the automobile factory. The land acquired by the West Bengal Government was given in lease to the Tatas. The controversy spiraled with the West Bengal Government and the opposition party on this 1000 acres of land given as domestic investment to the Tata Group.

The opposition party proposes to ‘gherao the Singur Tata plant’ to protest against the injustice meted out to the farmers. They are of the opinion that out of 1000 acres of land, 400 acres need to be given back to the farmers. Thus the seed of industrialization sown in the soil of West Bengal met with strong protests from the opposition party members.

Who are at loss at this political crisis? The opposition leader will shout slogans saying through the blood of farmers industrialization of cultural Bengal cannot be achieved. But is this true? Is it not through investment in manufacturing industries that generation of employment is possible? Is it not through successful
implementation of this factory that we can attract further investments through channels of either domestic investment or foreign institutional investments ? Are we not closing doors for future growth of Bengal?

In the hands of opposition are the instruments of bandhs and strikes.. Be it upgradation of Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose Airport or the growth of IT hub in Rajarhat, Kolkata. Are we conscious enough to know what lies behind this veil of controversies?

With project in Singur, which are the lands that they want back? Those that are meant for ancillary investment and moreover that 400 acres is not available together. These are pockets of lands spread all over.

Thus before the Tata really bid Ta-Ta to Bengal, its high time that we delve deep into this crisis to find an amicable solution through negotiation, re-negotiation and dialogues for a prosperous Bengal.