On Friday, Ratan Tata finally dropped the curtains on West Bengal seeing the Nano drive out from its precincts. Ratan Tata had a final meeting with West Bengal Chief Minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee and announced that they will be pulling out of West Bengal. In what can be seen as one of the most disastrous loss of opportunity for economic growth for a state in the modern times, Nano, for the people of West Bengal will soon be a 1000 acre black hole in the lush green Singur. And Ratan Tata did not mince words when he said that the reason for their leaving is entirely the opposition the project has seen, in the form of Mamata Banerjee. For Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee the loss of this project means the end of the dream for bringing industries back to the state, because after the kind of reaction the Nano has seen, other companies are already wary of making investments in the state.
Mamata Banerjee has been up in arms ever since land was allotted to the project. But her resistance reached its peak in the recent months, with her people stationing themselves outside the factory, making it difficult for the Tata employees to report to work. In fact one of Ratan Tata’s arguments for moving the factory out of the state was that he is very concerned about the safety of his employees, where they have been threatened bodily harm.
Responding to the Tatas decision to move out of the state, Mamata Banerjee said, “Why are the Tatas quitting when they had once said they will stay in Bengal even at gunpoint?” The Trinamool leader added that she had wanted industry and agriculture to survive side by side. Industry should happen but not at the cost of the unwilling farmers.
It is well known how big an employment opportunity the Singur factory was expected to generate, even for the families of those who had given up the land. The Tatas had become a symbol of change for this state, which had long ago seen the back of industries because of its political climate. The latter however, even now, proved to be far stronger than the ambition and clout of a conglomerate like the Tatas, with the result that the state has now lost the last glimmer of industrial revival. Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee is a despondent man today, probably wondering whether he could have handled the entire situation, including Mamata’s opposition, in a better way.
The main question now is where is the Nano heading? Ratan Tata has got several offers; Karnataka, Uttartakhand, Maharashtra and Gujarat are more than willing to welcome the project with open arms. In all likelihood the Tatas will choose Gujarat, where the Chief Minister has offered an area that is close to Bhuj and close to the ports of Kandla and Mundra. Apparently, the Tatas plan to set up four satellite plants where the Nano can be assembled. Dharwad in Karnataka and Uttarakhand can serve as the satellite plants for the Nano.
The Tatas in the meanwhile, are planning to have the Nano out in the streets by the end of November from its makeshift plant in Uttarakhand. With around 3000 cars expected to roll out every month, the waiting list is expected to be very long.
The West Bengal government, in the meanwhile, can only watch in disappointment at such a prized project having slipped out of its fingers. Mamata Banerjee may be gloating that she has saved the rights of the farmers in the state, but does she realize that she has to answer to the young generation of the state for taking away from them the dream of a brighter future, that would have helped them stay back in the state and not move out for better career prospects…
