Work on
Tata Motors'
Nano car project ground to a halt on Friday, the sixth day of a siege laid by
Trinamool Congress, after the company decided against operating any shift due to problems encountered by employees on
Thursday night. The big question is "So what?" When the elected people who were supposed to answer this question on behalf of the state asked the same question to the people, it just brought out another dark hole of our big democratic nation! Could any educated individual understand the emotion in which
Amar Sing stated "if
Tata got offers from other states, let them go".
For people who are not aware of whats happening, lets do a quick recap -
Tata declared its
prestigious project
NANO, the cheapest car. The plant was decided to setup in
Calcutta. They were initially given 600 acres of land which then was made to 1000 acres by the state government.
Trinamool Congress cadres led by their chief
Mamata Banerjee have blockaded the plant, being set up for manufacturing the world's cheapest car, since August 24 demanding return of a portion of farmland allotted to the project. Supporters of
Khet Majur Samity, a forum of farmers, led by
Anuradha Talwar allegedly prevented the workers from leaving the premises till late last night.
Mamatha's demand was to give back the extra 400 acres of land to farmers.
It's appreciable to see someone taking side of the poor farmers. Its good to know that there are people who still fight against capitalists like
Rathan, the government and the system - all for the poor, the disabled and the landless.
But is there a catch?
Lets analyse..
First,
Mamtha says - The farmers never wanted to SELL their lands! Did you just read "SELL"? So it was not a seizure, the govt BOUGHT land from the farmers even though they never intended to sell.
Second,
Mamtha started the agitation with all the support of the farmers [uneducated farmers who believe that the plant would generate ZERO employment and the work would be all done by Computers and not human beings] Making the poor people believe that there was no employment generated would have been the easiest play for
Mamatha :-) These people who
haven't seen a world outside
Singur and
haven't listened to hyped up media would hardly understand the benefits of starting an industry - the employment generated - both direct and support industry. The roads would be developed, the support industry ranging from tea shops, daily wagers, cleaners, unskilled labours, drivers and what not would make the
Singur a better place to live in. The per
capital income would grow. There would be educational institutions coming up. The gradual growth would definitely see hospitals and other service industries growing generating more employment. But
of course Mamtha surely
doesn't see it all!!
Third, a big question - a valid one too.
mamtha is concerned about the farming industry. If the farmers loose their land, where would they cultivate? What would happen to the biggest necessity called food?
Do we have an answer?
On one interview
Mamtha plays smart by declaring that she is ready to talk if the government would give back the 400 acres land to farmers. She said, the govt could
in turn give another 500 acre low-lying land which lays near to this project site. She says this land is ruled by her party [municipality] and if the govt does not give it to the plant, she would not allow any multi storey buildings come up at the said place!
Wo.. what a woman!!
Hold-on.. did we just get an answer to the big question we asked. Its obvious that
mamtha loves the poor, the farmers. Her war is one of those ideological ones raged against the "
corrupted" , "capitalist" government! Agreed! So instead of taking the already starving farmers out of their jobs, asking them to stay back for agitation which earns them nothing but starvation, why
don't she, with her government, the municipal officers, work on giving this so called 500 acres of land for farming? I am sure that would allow
TATA to stay back, the farmers get their land, the industry grows and so does
Singur. Everybody is happy. Or are they? The obvious unhappy thing that would happen is that
Mamtha would loose a weapon which could win her a seat in the ministry.
Of course CPI[M] led government would get the credit of bringing in the industry and all the development that follows. Why should she ever do that? Love for farmers definitely
doesn't demand promoting her political rivals!!
One question lingers. Why is she doing this? I am sure
you've got enough brains to help me get an answer! :-)
