http://bit.ly/7XwAG
60 Years ago at the time of Independence the Indian state of West Bengal was one of the most progressive and advanced regional center of India. From Education to Industry it led the nation with some of the best scientific brains, best graduate and post graduate colleges, richest industrial houses and a well developed industrial infrastructure and skilled work force. The vigilant and educated people of the state were well conversant of rights of the people and the rights of the workforce that powered the second largest industrial state in the nation, only next to Maharashtra, powered by the House of Tatas, Birlas, Goenkas, and Dalmias.
They took trade unionism too seriously and after a spiral of steady decline voted in the Communist Party Of India (Marxist) better known as CPM to power during the sixties. Using the power of trade unions and clout of left leaning intellectuals on the society the CPM ushered in a powerful political networking and control of the not only the Government's administrative machinery but also of the social sector at every level. Soon everyone was aware of their rights but no one of their duties.
As a result industrial unrest grew and business houses migrated from West Bengal chiefly to Gujarat, Delhi NCR, Maharashtra, Tamilnadu and Karnataka which provided distinctly better facilities and industrial environment in a rapidly developing nation. This made the economic growth slower and conditions worse with greater conflict between the employee and the employer and the unions and the people more strident than ever. That Bengali's traditionally considered themselves intellectually superior made conditions worse as they were blinded by their ego and pre-independence achievements to see their own failures and the role of their own contribution to the rapid degeneration of the state.
It took nearly thirty years for the Communists to be ejected from power, but the replacement Government of Trinamool Congress led by the firebrand Railway Minister Ms Mamta Bannerjee looks loosing itself in tall pre- election promises made by its leader. Ms Bannerjee's stint at the Railway Ministry has been rather non-descriptive. In two years under her, Railways one of the most profitable Public Sectors is now under financial pressure. Immature decision making by Ms Bannerjee and lack of planned balanced vision derailed and hurt the railways functioning.
The same type of impetus decision making now haunts Bengal. Ms Bannerjee has been claiming that she has already acted on 75 % of her election promises after one month of governance. Though she has selected an experienced industry Chief as the Finance Minister, she has been taking adhoc decisions in regard to land acquisition of the disputed territory that was bought by the Tata's for the Nano project. The matter is sub-judice as the Tata's have approached the Supreme Court who have stayed the state Governments decision.
The fact that Ms Bannerjee lost the unique opportunity to rekindle the hope that the new Government will try to wean back the industry after a 60 year comatose is indeed unfortunate . It is also a telling commentary on the future of Bengal that struggled for more than 30 years to move out of the yoke of communism
No comments:
Post a Comment