MoUs at Jharkhand with Four Lakh Crores &
at Orissa with Five lakh crores investment but
Not a single inch of land acquired
BUT NO NOISE!
Why so much noise at SINGUR
for a comparatively very small investment of only Rs. 1500 Crore that is also not made.
By Pravin Patel, Human Rights Activst.
We see in news channels, in print media, in discussion forums and every where people discussing Singur every where be it in the state of West Bengal, other parts of our country as well as attracting international attention. This can not be a coincidence until and unless something is very special about the repeated drum beating of SINGUR, SINGUR, SINGUR… every where Singur… There is a hue and cry every where that leads one to believe that with exit of Tata's dream $ 2500 / 2000 Euro or Lakhtakia car project from Singur, sky is going to fall on West Bengal. Illusion has been created in the minds of people of the state that the Tatas small project at Singur to assemble / make a small car is the ultimate solution to the acute unemployment problem faced by the state. However, there are many hidden faces that need to be exposed to clear the clouds of confusions. However state government prefers to hide them under the veil of secrecy confirms the very doubt that every thing is not gold that glitters at Singur in the name of producing & selling dream one lakh rupees car.Ratan Tata himself stated before a year that even at gun pointed on his head, he will not move and is the same person who now says though they have invested Rs. 1500 crore at Singur, they can move. It is to keep in mind that farmers of Singur had never gone to Mumbai, inviting Tatas to take away their precious farm land but the fact remains that the day Buddhadeb Bhattacharya was sworn as CM of West Bengal, Ratan Tata announced the dream small car project to be set up in West Bengal which can not be a mere coincidence. Double talks of Ratan Tata has proved beyond doubt that he is playing black mailing tactics to create further pressure on those persons in the corridors of power who have already bowed down on their knees, both eyes closed and shutters of mind pulled down to ink on the dotted lines. Bankruptcy of their mind stands exposed in trying to justify their deeds allowing Tatas at Singur only to see that Ratan Tata cancels his ticket to the rural hilly difficult interior terrain of Pantnagar in Uttaranchal. Are those people idiots that they can not find difference between Pant Nagar and Singur close on the heels of Kolkatta Metro? What an ordinary citizen can see that there is a hell and heaven difference between Pant Nagar and Singur is not seen by very those people who have bowed down on their knees, mortgaging the interest of the farmers of Singur and played with pride of people of state.
What is the secret of keeping the tripartite agreement a secret document from the very people in whose interest the agreement is inked? The fact is that the government wants to keep its people in dark so as to ensure that truth is never allowed to come out. Is this the way to deal with the people who have voted them to power? Is this not a breach of trust? Even a poor person of the state has right to know what is promised at their back in which he is also supposed to make sacrifices so as to fill the coffers of the house of Tatas. Big games are played behind the back and SINGUR is one such example.
A bare perusal of the secret document, it is found that land is virtually given for free; with only Rs. One Crore to be paid as annual lease rent for the entire land that values not less than Rs. 800 Crores as on date. As if this was not enough, at clause 7 (c), state has promised a loan of Rs. 200 Crore on a laughably low rate of interest of just 1% per annum to be repaid in five equal installments starting from 21st years from the date of disbursement of the loan. Loan is already disbursed. Monetary concessions in shape of differed payment of VAT for 30 years and other sops are extra gifts. As if this is not enough, state has promised to reimburse Excise duty and corporate income tax for 10 years besides promising a fixed power rates at clause 7 (d) that promises to provide relief through additional compensation to neutralize additional increase in power tarrif rates. This is one of the rarest of rate example of the largest investor of the country, a fifth generation industrialist with a begging bowl that is to be filled by the sacrifices of hard earned money of the poor people of the state.
If every thing is fair, Why Tatas have taken shelter of the Hon'ble High Court of Kolkatta to obtain a stay to keep the agreement a secret document. Are the people fools that they do not understand the games played behind their back? If it would have been a document with their 50: 50 partnership with Fiat of Italy, or agreement with vendors who are going to supply spares from out side Singur, or bankers it is a different matter altogether where secrecy can be linked with business but state being a welfare state, inks a document in the name of development of the state and its people in the largest democracy of the world, people are not allowed to know what is promised by their government, to whom they have voted to power. Great !!!!!Keeping things secret further confirms the doubt that even dipper conspiracy has been hatched. What are the hidden costs and at what consequences on the people of the state? Government being a welfare state can not behave as an agent of any private corporation, as is demonstrated at Singur. Creditability of the government of West Bengal, more particularly of the Chief Minister and Industries Minister is at the lowest as both of whom have totally failed to protect strategic interest of the state and its people.
Comparatively small investment of only Rs. 1500 crores, (though actually it is much less) Tata Motors, will hardly employ 500 persons is not a solution to the huge unemployed problem that the state is facing. It is surprising to see lot of noise is made in the matter of Singur as if the Sky will fall on Singur or State if Tatas finally decides to move out. Tatas know the problems in those states who invite him are much more and difficult. Five crore worth MoUs at Jharkhand, but not a single inch of land could be possessed. What has happened to the survey staff of Bhushan Steel, close to Tatanagar is seen by every one media. They had to bite their shoes and paraded. At Kalinga Nagar Tatas are not able to put a single brick; At Chhattisgarh also, they are sailing in extreme rough weathers. POSCO with Rs. 52000 Crore investment is trying hard to even enter those areas on which they have set their eyes but have failed time and again. Tatas knows much better than any body else how difficult the situation is elsewhere. National Highway 200 at Kalinga Nagar in Orissa was totally under seize for over 14 months; Economic blockade continued even after those 14 months. Though this must be a world record, hardly any noise was made outside the state. Few days of democratic agitation at Singur on express highway saw people from all sections of society, crying and shouting at top of their voice, as if the future of Bengal is sold out. Sky is going to fall on West Bengal if Nano is born outside the state. This raises another question, why people of the state and more particularly the youth are under illusion?
Tata's Rs. 10,000 crore green field steel plant project has also run in to difficult waters at Bastar in Chhattisgarh state. Tribals have strongly protested to give even an inch of their land. They are firm in their determination to resist any move of the state to forcibly displace them. No body should be surprised if another Nandigram or Kalinga Nagar at Lohandiguda is repeated, if state tries to act heavier on its own people. But no noise.
Now finally, there are confirmed reports that 1000 Nanos are all set to be born at Tata Motors Pune Maternity Home that raises the curtain of another part of the drama. This may be a political gimmick to impress upon the people of West Bengal that we did it every thing, but farmers and few political persons who are opposed to industrialization, to the growth of the state, those who oppose for the sake of opposing. If the state plays game to create a similar impression in the minds of the unemployed educated youth, we should not be surprised. The famous proverb comes in my mind, " One wrong spoken by 100 persons, makes others to believe it as right. This is the reality of Singur.
People of the state of West Bengal know much better, what is good and what bad, politics apart is. To those who want to see Singur as Jamshedpur should also visit the habitats of the people living in the periphery of that city or meet the workers at Tata Refractory at Belpahar and iron ore mines in Orissa, meet the victims at Tata Salt plants at Gujarat, they will see for themselves the truth. Clouds of illusion will vanish in thin air within no time. There are many stories to expose the truth. It is now up to the government of West Bengal, how they deal with the situation in the long term strategic interest of the state.
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