The problem with India developing with such a pace is that these developments are contained within the city. Poverty has been rising with a much faster pace then ever. The recent report by World Bank shows that poverty has increased more. The natural question is what’s government doing? Well, the answer lies in Singur! The government is busy with finalizing various land deals for various corporate to make their investments. In doing so, the government is forgetting one thing that it is taking fertile land from the farmers. Government has an option to give infertile lands or those lands, which are hardly tilled by farmers to these corporate. But, government pays no heed to poor farmers woe.

In an article in The Hindu Business Line, Ranabir Ray Choudhary rightly describes the present situation of Singur. He says that if the Tata pant meant for Nano production comes up, the entire farm culture in the area will die a slow death and if the greenery spreads across the horizon, the State’s industrial prospects will suffer a near fatal blow.

Mr. Ray rightly describes the agony of poor farmers by stating that the babus of Kolkata know that their children will get a computer job after college. But, the fathers of Singur do not know what will happen to their sons once they grow up because there is no land to till anymore. They see no future for their sons. Why would then they think about the future of the children of the Kolkata babus?

What will a farmer do with the money he received? Invest somewhere. He may fail. What after that? With land in hand at least he has a fixed capital. So, the solution lies not in giving monetary support to these farmers. Giving back land would not help. It will have a far larger negative affect on the investments not only in West Bengal but also in other states. There is a mixed feeling about the disputed land if it is returned. Many feel that the land may have become non arable. The solution does not lie in returning the land. The solution lies in rehabilitation. But, past experiences of several governments prove that it is not so easy to rehabilitate about several thousand farmers. Now, the situation seems so tensed that other investors who had any future plans to invest in the state are doing a rethink.

Going by the attitude of Mamta Banerjee it seems that she is not interested in talks but raising voices. Had she been ready to talk with the government, the Singur fiasco would not have crossed the danger line. The Telegraph reports that the government of West Bengal had a proposal to build a market complex to rehabilitate farmers who are unwilling to hand over land in Singur. According to the proposal, finalised and approved by the government, half of the 40 acres of the vested land that is part of the Tata Motors project could be utilised for the market. It would house around 1,500 shops, each measuring 436 sqft. With a township expected to come up, the shops could sell grocery and other commodities for household use.

Change is necessary for development. So, the farmers of Singur will have to live with the fact that they have no option but to give their lands to the government, provided government promises to rehabilitate them.

Note: Originally posted at www.singhsanjay.blogspot.com