Bengal's industrialisation and lack of it: Mamata did not have the will and the key to reverse the trend

New Delhi: Singur goes to the polls on April 10, Saturday. The name of this place certainly should evoke a debate on industrialisation in West Bengal and how things had turned under the communists regime. 

Analysing the history and absence of industries in Bengal, it ought to be stated that there are two factors - historical and political.

Firstly, when India's capital was shifted from Kolkata/Calcutta to Delhi, there were some impact. The beginning of decline of the jute industry perhaps started since then. The state of West Bengal or eastern India began to lose its eminent position to 'Bombay' or the western India. The lack of cooperation between India and then East Pakistan after Independence/1947 also led to further decline of the jute industry. 

The political reason was of course the overwhelming influence of communists and the mindset it created for decades to come. People developed dislike for capitalism and also hard work. Then came militant trade unionism and a mindset that justified 'lockout' in industrial units for months. 

Unfortunately, the same mindset continues! 

Even now as the state is undergoing the massive election season, there is a deliberate attempt to play up the outsider card against the BJP. Nowhere in India during the last six years, the saffron party and especially the Narendra Modi-Amit Shah duo has heard the 'bhoiragati' tag - not even in southern states where traditionally the BJP was dismissed earlier as a 'north Indian' party. 

Bengal: Industry scene

Sadly, the outsiders tag was given to BJP leaders in a state from which came a political protagonist named Syama Prasad Mookerjee.

Back to the industry-debate, for sometime it was given out that the central government's 'Freight Equalisation Policy' started in 1950-51 has harmed the West Bengal industry. This is definitely an issue. But to put the entire blame on this 'Freight Equalisation Policy' would not be correct. 

This policy allowed taking of minerals from eastern Indian states to other states especially the west and north. But this same policy affected the states of Odisha and Bihar (then included Jharkhand) as well. But the damage and sordid scene of industries as in Bengal is in no other state.

To state the fact, West Bengal's industrialisation problems owe their origins to labour related issues, an unhealthy atmosphere created around industrial units, militant trade unionism backed by Leftist forces in power and the work culture. 

People developed a love for shying away from work and then again unions became 'protectors'. These left both short term and long term impact.

There is yet another crucial facet. 

Bengal's industrialisation issues also are due to a unique synthesis of 'Bangla regionalism' and the 'communists' movement'.

In the 1960s when Ajoy Mukherjee of Bangla Congress and Jyoti Basu of the Leftists formed government together, it did take up the issues of native Bengalis. But somewhere it crossed the limits as well. People seemed to have lost control.

'Dada giri' became a normal thing in factories. Managers and work supervisors started being assaulted. And to be truthful, Jyoti Basu's entire career throughout the 1970s, 1980s and even later - things did not change. Bengal could not come out of the 'well' the state had created for itself. Basu did benefit from the anti-New Delhi narrative, but the state suffered for long. And see the irony, ultimately, it was Basu's successor Buddhadeb Bhattacharya, who had to pay a price. The state was handed over to Mamata Banerjee!

After assuming office in the 1960s, the United Front government of Ajoy Mukherjee issued a circular directing the police not to interfere in gheraos (besieging blockades) unless having the permission from the state  Minister of Labour. Obviously, there was a sharp rise in gheraos in connection to labour disputes. In May 1967 there were 151 gheraos in West Bengal, compared to 32 in March.

The Calcutta High Court intervened and nullified the circular. The United Front government - where the illustrious Jyoti Basu was Deputy CM, responded by issuing a new circular on June 12, 1967. The new circular differentiated between 'legitimate' and 'unlawful' actions in labour conflicts, barring police yet again from intervening in legitimate trade union activities.

This was the time Naxalism made its foray. The Bengali mindset was 'spoiled' so much by Left-Liberal narrative that there came a slogan - "Amar naam Vietnam.....Amar bari Naxalbari". 

Mamata Banerjee did not even try to change things.

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EC serves notice to Mamata for her 'Muslim appeal'

New Delhi: The Election Commission on Wednesday issued a notice to West Bengal Chief Ministerand Trinamool Congress chief, Mamata Banerjee, over her reported appeal to Muslim voters to 'get united' and not allow their votes split in the state assembly elections.

The poll panel has asked Ms Mamata Banerjee to explain her stand within 48 hours.

West Bengal has already witnessed three rounds of polls and the next round of polls is on April 10, Saturday.

The BJP had approached the poll panel seeking action against Mamata Banerjee alleging that she had violated the Representation of the People's Act by asking Muslims to come together and vote for her party.

A BJP leaders' delegation, including Union minister Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi, party's national secretary Sunil Deodhar, and GVL Narasimha Rao, met top officials of the poll panel and submitted a memorandum demanding actions.
"She (Trinamool supremo) has not only violated the essentials of the Model Code of Conduct by making such remarks but this is also a criminal violation of the Representation of People Act, 1951," Naqvi said.
BJP general secretary Bhupender Yadav claimed that the upcoming phases of Bengal polls are going to be held in areas most prone to violence and electoral malpractices by the Trinamool Congress.

The elections are being held in eight phases between March 27 to April 29. 
Addressing an election rally, Prime Minister Narendra Modi also slammed Mamata. 

"Didi recently asked all Muslims to vote en bloc for her. It shows that the Muslim vote bank is slipping out of her hands. Had we said the same thing that all Hindus should unite, everybody would have criticised us.The Election Commission would have sent us notices. We would have been criticised in the media," Modi had said.

On April 2, a day after Nandigram polling, rattled Trinamool Congress supremo had urged Muslim voters to stay united so that her party can manage to win over 200 seatsin the West Bengal polls.

"Matha thanda korey kaj korben (Keep your cool when you exercise your franchise)," Mamata told an election rally in north Bengal. She repeated the same appeal even in other rallies later.

"There is somebody who is coming from Hyderabad (ref to Asaduddin Owaisi). He has taken money from the BJP. There is also a talkative guy from Furfura Sharif....They all are trying to divide thevotes of minorities (read Muslims). Even one minority vote should not be split," she said.
"I will need 200 plus to form a strong government....," Mamata had said.

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