The great Bengali intellectual and leader Mr Buddhadev Bhattacharjee (Chief Minister, Culture Minister and Police Minister all rolled into one) has blessed us once again with some profound pronouncements.
Opposing the forced land acquisition in Singur (for Tata Motors’ small car plant) will send wrong signals to investors, he has said.
He is quite right. Protesting this flagrant violation of basic norms of governance and democracy will send signals to investors that, for instance:
the people value their source of livelihood and dignity, and will resist moves to marginalise them;
the people value the rule of law and expect transparency, good governance;
the public has a right to know;
the lives and aspirations of the poor, low-income and marginalised are as important as the dreams of fixers, brokers, real-estate sharks and capitalists;
the totalitarian goon brigade that the CPI(M) in West Bengal is today still has to contend with people’s protests and resistance;
the talk about “resurgent Bengal” is all puff, with the flyovers, condominiums, malls and multiplexes in "arrived" Calcutta camouflaging mass poverty and all-round stagnation.
Thank you great leader! We wait with bated breath for your next bestowal of pearls of wisdom.
4 comments:
As we used to say in the 60s, "Viva Raza!" or "Power to the People!"
Ya Haqq!
and what about the other side of the story?
Thanks Irving!
And which side would you be referring to Sayantani?
The feel-good side, about oh-such-wonderful-things-happening-in-Bengal? Some people may feel good, but the reality does not change. And the reality is there for all to see, if they care to. Whom does the small car project serve? Does India need the small cars? Where are the roads? What's the driving behaviour like in Indian cities?
Anyway, have a nice day!
Best, rama
If there are no roads, build the roads. If there is no driving discipline instill discipline. Those are just excuses of the socialists (basically naxalites posing as NGOs and human rights activists) who are afraid of development. They are like the frogs in the village well and a millstone on Bengal's neck. They know development will mean that the poor will become rich. That's what these socialist elite fear the most.
Let the Singur car factory happen. Let the SEZ at Nandigram happen. And let the lumpen, communal, anti national, violence prone elements (Naxalites + Jamaat) lose their face.
Soham
Post a Comment