Calcutta, Sept. 1: Mamata Banerjee said today her party would participate in talks to break the Singur deadlock if the initiative was taken by governor Gopalkrishna Gandhi.
“We would like the honourable governor, who talked to us yesterday, to take the initiative for talks on Singur, in which we will take part since we want an immediate solution to the issue,” Mamata said while addressing supporters of the siege outside the Nano plant.
“If the governor takes the initiative to break the impasse, we will go…. if the discussion is positive. It is because of the negative attitude of the government that the Singur crisis has reached the present stage,” she added.
Mounting public pressure — an NDTV opinion poll showed overwhelming support for the Tata project — the governor’s appeal and CPM leader Biman Bose’s comment that Mamata could carry on dialogue and agitation simultaneously are being seen as the principal factors that prompted her to approach the talks table.
Informed of Mamata’s comments at the siege site, Gandhi told The Telegraph: “I have also heard this on television. But I shall make a comment tomorrow after I see her statements in newspapers.”
Highly placed sources said the governor was unlikely to play an active mediator and was likely to cite constitutional reasons. However, if the situation comes to such a pass that only direct talks among the Trinamul Congress, the government and the Tatas can salvage the situation, the governor will not be averse to facilitating such an exercise “in his presence”.
In his letter to Mamata on August 29, the governor had mooted the appointment of a person with “no political or industrial affiliations” as the arbiter. But few such persons can be found in Bengal’s highly politicised “civil society”.
Three proposals are on the table now.
One, find a personality based outside Bengal and whose credentials cannot be questioned by either side. “Names such as Nobel laureate Amartya Sen and former President A.P.J. Abdul Kalam readily come to mind but no one is sure whether they would like to involve themselves with the issue,” one of the sources said.
Although they have impeccable credentials in their respective fields, their skills in handling politicians and reconciling diametrically opposed positions are yet to be tested. Besides, when persons with iconic reputations mediate, their personality often overshadows the issues on the ground.
These uncertainties have forced those involved with back-channel negotiations to consider a second option: refer the issue to a legal expert such as a former chief justice.
If neither of the two options is feasible, the third – direct talks in the presence of the governor — is expected to come into play.
Mamata did not say whether she herself would attend a meeting or send a delegation, but her announcement is being seen as willingness to talk with her opponents under the umbrella of a neutral observer. “If necessary, we will send a team of lawyers and agricultural experts,” she said.
Before making the announcement, Mamata had her aide and Trinamul legislature party leader Partha Chatterjee explain to Gandhi the party’s stand.
Chief minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee, too, voiced support to Gandhi’s initiative. “My attitude is positive and so is the governor’s.” Commenting on Gandhi’s missive to Mamata, the chief minister said: “I fully back the contents of the letter. At a time I am trying my best to resolve the impasse, the governor’s attempt is welcome.”
The structuring of the talks platform has just begun, but the state government is believed to have already conveyed its willingness to exchange notes with Mamata. It is believed the backroom mediators have been able to fashion a “please-all” package.
Mamata today repeated a suggestion after adding a proposal for an underpass. “The ancillary units can be shifted to the 500-acre site on the opposite side and they can be connected with the main plant through an underpass. But if the government tries to give us any pension package instead, we will give them a tension package.”
Mamata said she wanted work to begin at the Tata plant, inactive since Thursday night. Tata officials said they would assess the situation on the ground and decide on resuming work. (END) Source : The Telegraph
“We would like the honourable governor, who talked to us yesterday, to take the initiative for talks on Singur, in which we will take part since we want an immediate solution to the issue,” Mamata said while addressing supporters of the siege outside the Nano plant.
“If the governor takes the initiative to break the impasse, we will go…. if the discussion is positive. It is because of the negative attitude of the government that the Singur crisis has reached the present stage,” she added.
Mounting public pressure — an NDTV opinion poll showed overwhelming support for the Tata project — the governor’s appeal and CPM leader Biman Bose’s comment that Mamata could carry on dialogue and agitation simultaneously are being seen as the principal factors that prompted her to approach the talks table.
Informed of Mamata’s comments at the siege site, Gandhi told The Telegraph: “I have also heard this on television. But I shall make a comment tomorrow after I see her statements in newspapers.”
Highly placed sources said the governor was unlikely to play an active mediator and was likely to cite constitutional reasons. However, if the situation comes to such a pass that only direct talks among the Trinamul Congress, the government and the Tatas can salvage the situation, the governor will not be averse to facilitating such an exercise “in his presence”.
In his letter to Mamata on August 29, the governor had mooted the appointment of a person with “no political or industrial affiliations” as the arbiter. But few such persons can be found in Bengal’s highly politicised “civil society”.
Three proposals are on the table now.
One, find a personality based outside Bengal and whose credentials cannot be questioned by either side. “Names such as Nobel laureate Amartya Sen and former President A.P.J. Abdul Kalam readily come to mind but no one is sure whether they would like to involve themselves with the issue,” one of the sources said.
Although they have impeccable credentials in their respective fields, their skills in handling politicians and reconciling diametrically opposed positions are yet to be tested. Besides, when persons with iconic reputations mediate, their personality often overshadows the issues on the ground.
These uncertainties have forced those involved with back-channel negotiations to consider a second option: refer the issue to a legal expert such as a former chief justice.
If neither of the two options is feasible, the third – direct talks in the presence of the governor — is expected to come into play.
Mamata did not say whether she herself would attend a meeting or send a delegation, but her announcement is being seen as willingness to talk with her opponents under the umbrella of a neutral observer. “If necessary, we will send a team of lawyers and agricultural experts,” she said.
Before making the announcement, Mamata had her aide and Trinamul legislature party leader Partha Chatterjee explain to Gandhi the party’s stand.
Chief minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee, too, voiced support to Gandhi’s initiative. “My attitude is positive and so is the governor’s.” Commenting on Gandhi’s missive to Mamata, the chief minister said: “I fully back the contents of the letter. At a time I am trying my best to resolve the impasse, the governor’s attempt is welcome.”
The structuring of the talks platform has just begun, but the state government is believed to have already conveyed its willingness to exchange notes with Mamata. It is believed the backroom mediators have been able to fashion a “please-all” package.
Mamata today repeated a suggestion after adding a proposal for an underpass. “The ancillary units can be shifted to the 500-acre site on the opposite side and they can be connected with the main plant through an underpass. But if the government tries to give us any pension package instead, we will give them a tension package.”
Mamata said she wanted work to begin at the Tata plant, inactive since Thursday night. Tata officials said they would assess the situation on the ground and decide on resuming work. (END) Source : The Telegraph
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