Singur agitation leaders remember ex-CM Bhattacharya
The Statesman | 9 August 2024
The demise of the former chief minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharya came as a great shock to the people of the state.
At the initiative of Buddhadeb Bhattacharya, Tata Motors had set up the Tata Nano project at Singur. However, the project got held up, since Trinamul Congress chief Mamata Banerjee objected to the forceful acquisition of agricultural land. The Singur Andolan was launched in favour of the constitutional rights of the Singur farmers, leading to the project being scrapped by the Tatas.
At the demise of the former chief minister, some of the foremost leaders of the Singur agitation remember him.
Leader of Singur Andolan, Becharam Manna said, “Personally, I hold great respect for the former CM of Bengal for his humbleness and clean image, but the anti-farmer and anti-agricultural policies followed by the then left front government completely misguided Buddhadeb Bhattacharya. The constitutional rights of the farmers was dishonoured. At the initiative by Mamata Banerjee, the Singur Andolan was launched and the apex court gave the verdict in favour of the farmers.”
Another leader of the agitation, Rabindranath Bhattacharya from Singur said, “There is no doubt about the clean image of former chief minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharya but the policy taken up by the then left front government was anti-farmer. However, to resolve the forceful acquisition of agricultural land amicably, an agreement was reached in the presence of Buddhadeb Bhattacharya, the then industries minister, Nirupama Sen and the then Governor Gopal Krishna Gandhi. Sadly, the CPM rejected the agreement. A big blunder made by the CPM party completely destroyed the agricultural and industrial prospects of Singur. The agricultural land, returned to the farmers, was unsuitable to carry out any agricultural activity.”
Senior Congress leader and former Champdany MLA Abdul Manna said, “The former chief minister was a man of principles, ideology, humbleness and honesty. However, the wrongful land acquisition policy of the then left front government backfired. It is a pity that Industrial giant Tatas left and the prospects of industrial growth in Hooghly came to an end. The present politicians should take lessons from the life of the former CM in leading a humble life, free of corruption.”