The Hindu Business Line : Kolkata chambers jointly oppose bandh culture

STAY OPEN: Representatives from all chambers of commerce in Kolkata on Wednesday held a joint press conference to appeal to the society to ignore the 48-hour bandh call by the Trinamool Congress. — A. Roy Chowdhury

Kolkata , Dec. 20

All the chambers of commerce and industry in Kolkata, in an unprecedented joint press conference here on Wednesday, lashed out against the "Bandh Culture" which was leading West Bengal's rejuvenated industrialisation process to ruins.

The chamber presidents put the tangible daily notional loss on account of bandhs/strikes in the State at a staggering Rs 900 crore (during agricultural season), based on a study undertaken some time ago. The intangible loss, by way of image dent and putting off potential investors, could be equally massive, they pointed out.

Holding their press meet well ahead of Ms Mamata Banerjee's late-afternoon decision to call off the two-day bandh, ostensibly not to inconvenience the Kolkata denizens before Christmas celebrations, all the eight presidents of the leading chambers said their membership was disgusted and totally opposed to the two-day bandh (on December 21 & 22), and that the members have decided to keep their offices open for whoever wants to come and work.

They appealed that good sense should prevail, and such bandhs should be opposed, as these have the potential to vitiate the positive atmosphere now being created in the State towards industrialisation and investment.

Virtually indicating that this was the proverbial last straw on the camel's back, the chambers have been suddenly energised by the Trinamool Congress' bandh call to create a joint forum, which would now chalk out a sensitisation programme against all such bandhs and strikes which threaten to take the State backwards, and at a time when investments were flowing into other States.

Mr Aloke Mookherjee, President of Bengal Chamber of Commerce & Industry (BCCI), made the joint stand of the chambers amply clear by stating that "we, in the chambers, are anguished by such bandh calls which will take away the investments, and oppose all bandhs irrespective of the colours involved, or whichever political party is calling it."

Mr P.R. Agarwal, President of Bharat Chamber of Commerce, said: "Bandhs cannot resolve any issue, and these severely affect the unorganised sector in particular, especially the daily wage earners, and education of children."

Describing bandhs as highly demoralising, Ms Shanta Ghosh, President of Bengal National Chamber of Commerce and Industry (BNCCI), said the bandh organisers should consider the plight of the small individuals whose daily livelihood is threatened by such action.

Mr Sanjay Budhia, who chairs the foreign trade sub-committee of Indian Chamber of Commerce, and also shepherds the CII international trade cell, said the motto now in Bengal was "grow or go" and "industrialise or perish", and bandhs do not help the cause.

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