Old land scar not healed, Singur limps to elections

SINGUR: In Bengal, Singur is not just another constituency, it is a dream that has gone wrong; a place that promised so much, but got nothing. And all that’s left is a crumbling factory that stands as a mute witness to all that has gone wrong.
Singur goes to polls on April 30, eight years after the Tatas walked out of Singur, ending their plans to build a factory for their small car, Nano. Mamata Banerjee had vowed to return the land to the farmers during her election campaigns five years back, but that hasn’t happened. And, as Banerjee seeks re-election for a second term, Singur’s problems remain largely unresolved.

With the Tata Motors factory stuck in litigation, Trinamool Congress is now showcasing a few small industry units as the result of an “industrial drive” of Banerjee.

However, these factories, including a cement plant and a couple of chemical units, failed to generate much employment in the area. Meanwhile, discontent is brewing among farmers. Some of them, though in small groups, have approached Rabindranath Bhattacharya, outgoing MLA and TMC candidate in Singur, requesting him to urge the government to release compensation for the land. “Some farmers are approaching me for the compensation of their land. Even though they are losing patience, they had never lost faith in Mamata,” Bhattacharya, the 84-year-old retired head master, told ET.

However, growing discontent is still no indication of a change in voting pattern, and it is unlikely to cause any major upheavals for Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee. And even Bhattacharya said that he was “optimistic”.

Singur is one of those constituencies in West Bengal that rejected CPM more than a decade ago in 2001, when no anti land-acquisition movement took place. What Trinamool needs to worry is the growing factional feud in the party. The clash between two leaders of the movement — Rabindranath Bhattacharya and Becharam Manna — is now out in the open.

With these internal bickerings, CPM might just succeed in increasing its vote share in Singur. Rabin Deb, a senior leader of CPM, has been fielded here. Deb, who campaigns with a Nano in the area, said, “Our party will withdraw the case against Tata Motors if we come to power. We will bring industry here.”