The Hindu Business Line : Aiming at the trees

The next few days are going to be crucial not only for the Trinamul Congress leader, Ms Mamata Banerjee, but for the State of West Bengal as a whole - the former being put to the test of responsible politics and the latter's economic future being at stake.

The long and the short of it is that some politicians in the State are missing the wood for the trees as far as the continuing agitation over the Tata car plant at Singur is concerned which, in the long run, could have disastrous consequences for the economic future of West Bengal.

THE FALLOUT

This is not to suggest that, sometimes, one swallow does make a summer, namely, that the setting up of the Singur plant would, unfailingly, usher in economic prosperity for the State but to focus on the other side of the coin, that is, the failure to set up the plant in its present form will deliver a body blow to the brightening prospects of the State in making an industrial recovery.

Those who challenge this proposition either do not accept the thesis that, over the past three decades, apart from a couple of showpiece large industrial complexes which, in any case, are not functioning as they should, the State has performed disastrously; or they do not accept the point of view that the exit of one of the premier industrial houses from the State (meaning relocation of the Singur plant to some other place) is bound to affect adversely the investment decisions of other smaller, industrial investors, all of whom together make up the "wood" in West Bengal.

POLITICAL ANGLE

There is a political aspect here as well which, characteristically, the Trinamul Congress leader is, on the face of it at least, not taking into account.

Apparently, she is drawing her strength from the surge of popular support in the rural areas, as indicated by the last panchayat poll results. There is no doubt whatsoever that the popular mood in the rural areas has swung against the Left Front Government. But, having said this, the point also needs to be made that the swing was precipitated not by effective Opposition leaders but by the inept handling of the "land issue" by the political and administrative leadership of the State. If this is accepted, the point can be made that, first and foremost, Ms Banerjee must take into account the popular mood of the people of the Singur area before she strikes out on a definite path of political agitation, the ultimate goal of which is of course to dislodge the Left Front from the seat of power in West Bengal.

GRASSROOTS LEVEL FEEDBACK

Information from the grassroots level indicates that the people of Singur do not want the Tata plant to be dismantled. Secondly, they would also like the landlosers concerned to be given a fair deal, mainly those who have not as yet taken money for their land.

Clearly, if the opinion of the Singur populace is considered important, Ms Banerjee should not focus on one part of the demand to the exclusion of the other. It is here that her mettle as a politician will be proved one way or the other. The people of Singur, and West Bengal, do not want the wood to be missed for the trees. This is the major test before both the Left Front Government and the Opposition, the impact on the State and its future being much larger than any election victory or defeat.

RANABIR RAY CHOUDHURY

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