By Indrani Dutta
Mamata firm on return of land
Gopalkrishna Gandhi warns of social costs
Suggests that mediator study the issue
Kolkata: West Bengal Governor Gopalkrishna Gandhi has urged all parties to the Singur issue to consider the social costs of their positions.
In a letter dated August 29 to Trinamool Congress chief Mamata Banerjee, he suggested that a mediator with no political or industrial affiliations be invited to go into her demand for return of acquired land and give its findings. He urged Ms. Banerjee to suggest some names for this and assured her that he would request the government to respond positively
The letter, which was released on Sunday, said “the grace of accommodation is not unavailable in the most obdurate of situations and its value becomes inestimable when it comes before rather than after the situations have deepened into an irremediable crises, in which the weak and the voiceless suffer the most.”
Responding to this letter, Ms. Banerjee sent a 16-member delegation headed by Partha Chatterjee, leader of the Opposition, to meet the Governor. However, the warmth generated by her reciprocal gesture quickly evaporated as the meeting failed to yield much, with Ms. Banerjee sticking to her demand.
The team comprised representatives of the West Bengal Krishi Jiban and Jibika Raksha Committee (West Bengal committee for saving farm lives and livelihoods) and other political and non-political allies of the Trinamool.
Raj Bhavan officials said that during the meeting, the Governor stressed the point that the Singur issue surely had some solution.
While wishing Ms. Banerjee good health in view of her now eight-day sit-in, the Governor expressed concern at the political standoff at a time when the flood situation in Bihar was grim.
Later, Ms. Banerjee said the doors for talks were still open but only for discussing the issue of return of the land. Talks could be held simultaneously with the agitation, she indicated. Globalisation did not mean destroying agriculture and in Singur industry and agriculture could co-exist.
“Let the factory use 60 per cent of the land and let the ancillary units be located on the plot opposite — 40 per cent land [i.e. 400 acres] could be returned then,” she said, adding that the Singur struggle was a historical one and it would stay alive.
Meanwhile, there were signs of a build-up of a movement in favour of the small car project with a candle-light rally being organised in the city by IT sector employees and a rally and a public meeting being held at Singur. (END) Source : The Hindu
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