Introduction.
The left parties of this great nation have a time honoured tradition of long speeches and few actions. Certainly, we are unable to answer the very pertinent question of 'would you rather have the economic prosperity along with the rage of Godhra and everything that followed? Or would you rather stay in this rather poor state, but one which does not have Hindus and Muslims wanting to kill each other? '
Where do their loyalties lie?
I know my answer, I would not exchange all the money in the world if it came attached with hate. But there are things to be considered. Firstly, the very ideological basis of these parties, is by and large, imported. Socialism was originally designed for an industrially resurgent Germany. The fact that the first completely socialist nation was the former USSR, is, well, not quite what Marx had thought of. The various communist parties of India brand themselves as Marxist, Leninist, Maoist or any combination thereof. None of these ideologies was born in India. In fact, the only leftist political party which was conceived based on principles which are Indian nationalistic happens to be Subhas Bose's Forward Bloc. All our other precious comrades cannot help looking to Beijing or Moscow for inspiration before doing something as mundane as, say building a road.
Left misrule.
My contention is that some three decades worth of Left misrule has systematically destroyed all industry in West Bengal, and given precious little in return. There has been employment of sorts: working for the Party. Indeed, being party cadres is the full time job description of all too many Bengali youths. So where is the beautiful red dawn that has been so long promised? How long can Writers' Building keep on blaming Delhi and the bourgeoisie for all the ills of this state? Bengali's are, by nature an inventive people. Do not forget that at the time of independence, a huge fraction of the nation's industrial production came from the Calcutta-Howrah industrial district. And today take a walk along any 'gali' (lane) in South Calcutta. All you will see are 'clubhouses' where 20-something guys hang out, watch cricket and play carrom. Certainly, that is preferable to planning to do in someone because you don't like their religion. But wouldn't it be infinitely preferable if these youths could find gainful employment. But where? All the factories are closing shop.
Singur.
The solution of choice by the government of the hour (hell, of the last 30 years) is to let in specific private investors. The investor of the hour is the Tata group with its promise of building a small car factory near Calcutta. The location of their choice is Singur, which has the advantage of being close enough to Calcutta for commerce. Unfortunately, the are chosen is arable land, and so the government finds itself at loggerheads with farmers. It is to be remembered that the Left Front came to power on the strength of agrarian reform programmes. Their first friends were farmers.
Nexus.
There have been indications that certain groups of businessmen stand to make enormous profits at little cost due to the munificence of the state government. At a time when street pollution has reached almost intolerable levels, Calcutta has a hundred-year old tram corporation. Instead of modernising the tram system, upgrading the tracks, and building a better and consolidated mass transit system; the government has been considering shutting down the Calcutta Tram Corporation and selling off its assets. What are these assets? Principally: land. And which promoter would not like to get his hands on these huge parcels of land, located in prime spots all over the city. And then we will see more high-rises. This in a city, where basic transportation is a joke. Where people sometimes don't even bother getting a municipal water connection; they prefer sinking a 800 feet deep tubewell... which of course leads to a very rapid depletion of ground water. This leads to complications such as.. has anyone heard of the West Bengal ground water arsenic problem?
Yes, selected business and a government of easy virtue. Good bedfellows.
The left parties of this great nation have a time honoured tradition of long speeches and few actions. Certainly, we are unable to answer the very pertinent question of 'would you rather have the economic prosperity along with the rage of Godhra and everything that followed? Or would you rather stay in this rather poor state, but one which does not have Hindus and Muslims wanting to kill each other? '
Where do their loyalties lie?
I know my answer, I would not exchange all the money in the world if it came attached with hate. But there are things to be considered. Firstly, the very ideological basis of these parties, is by and large, imported. Socialism was originally designed for an industrially resurgent Germany. The fact that the first completely socialist nation was the former USSR, is, well, not quite what Marx had thought of. The various communist parties of India brand themselves as Marxist, Leninist, Maoist or any combination thereof. None of these ideologies was born in India. In fact, the only leftist political party which was conceived based on principles which are Indian nationalistic happens to be Subhas Bose's Forward Bloc. All our other precious comrades cannot help looking to Beijing or Moscow for inspiration before doing something as mundane as, say building a road.
Left misrule.
My contention is that some three decades worth of Left misrule has systematically destroyed all industry in West Bengal, and given precious little in return. There has been employment of sorts: working for the Party. Indeed, being party cadres is the full time job description of all too many Bengali youths. So where is the beautiful red dawn that has been so long promised? How long can Writers' Building keep on blaming Delhi and the bourgeoisie for all the ills of this state? Bengali's are, by nature an inventive people. Do not forget that at the time of independence, a huge fraction of the nation's industrial production came from the Calcutta-Howrah industrial district. And today take a walk along any 'gali' (lane) in South Calcutta. All you will see are 'clubhouses' where 20-something guys hang out, watch cricket and play carrom. Certainly, that is preferable to planning to do in someone because you don't like their religion. But wouldn't it be infinitely preferable if these youths could find gainful employment. But where? All the factories are closing shop.
Singur.
The solution of choice by the government of the hour (hell, of the last 30 years) is to let in specific private investors. The investor of the hour is the Tata group with its promise of building a small car factory near Calcutta. The location of their choice is Singur, which has the advantage of being close enough to Calcutta for commerce. Unfortunately, the are chosen is arable land, and so the government finds itself at loggerheads with farmers. It is to be remembered that the Left Front came to power on the strength of agrarian reform programmes. Their first friends were farmers.
Nexus.
There have been indications that certain groups of businessmen stand to make enormous profits at little cost due to the munificence of the state government. At a time when street pollution has reached almost intolerable levels, Calcutta has a hundred-year old tram corporation. Instead of modernising the tram system, upgrading the tracks, and building a better and consolidated mass transit system; the government has been considering shutting down the Calcutta Tram Corporation and selling off its assets. What are these assets? Principally: land. And which promoter would not like to get his hands on these huge parcels of land, located in prime spots all over the city. And then we will see more high-rises. This in a city, where basic transportation is a joke. Where people sometimes don't even bother getting a municipal water connection; they prefer sinking a 800 feet deep tubewell... which of course leads to a very rapid depletion of ground water. This leads to complications such as.. has anyone heard of the West Bengal ground water arsenic problem?
Yes, selected business and a government of easy virtue. Good bedfellows.
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