Tata's hostility to Mamata Govt will impede industrial growth

IN THE 1970s the Left targeted Tata as one of the biggest capitalist houses of India. In 2010, the Left became friends with Tata for developing industries. The Tata group even advertised in favour of the Left and embittered relations with Mamata Banerjee and her party, which at that time launched a violent agitation against the Left Front government and Tata Motors. At that time the issue was Singur.

The Tata group shifted their Nano industry to Gujarat without delaying the move even by a day for the sake of the Left Front government. The incidents that followed are known to everyone. The Tata group, however, kept their grip on Singur land and created impediments in distributing the land to unwilling farmers. The issue is now before the Calcutta High Court. It is quite significant that only recently the Tata babus (as the CM ironically addresses them) have given a fresh proposal for investment in the state.

Tata group wants to ensure that there is no hostility towards them especially when the state Chief Minister is in favour of pursuing them to court. Earlier Mamata Banerjee had been irked by Tata’s partiality towards CPI(M) and today she is determined to take back the land lease to Tata.

In the annual general meeting on August 30 in Kolkata, Tata was responding to a volley of questions and reiterated his love for West Bengal: “We had a fondness for the people of Bengal,” said Ratan Tata, the chief of the Tata Groups. Very recently Tata spent nearly Rs. 300 crores on Cancer Research hospital at Rajarhat. It was also an initiative of the Left Front government. It is not sure if rapprochement is possible between Tata Motors and the state government as the matter is sub judice.

The very point of ‘hostility if any existing’ has sparked off controversies. Thus, it is clear that time is still far ahead for the ice to melt. Faith and trust are yet to be restored. The Tatas, if they at all want to invest in the state for which they claim to have fondness, should not say such words of distrust and rancour.

There should be an atmosphere of amity and good will for the industrialization in the state. Both Tata and the state will be the beneficiaries of such a compromise. Antagonism cannot breed good results for either. Mamata has made it clear in the manifesto that if her party comes to power she will return the land to unwilling farmers. It is not that Tata will not be able to develop their motor car industry elsewhere in the state. No earthquake will occur if Singur is not chosen as the site for the industry. This is simply a case of obstinacy and lack of good will.


The new government has some compulsions under which it is now acting. Singur was a vital issue during the last assembly elections. To return the land to unwilling farmers has been a major issue. The state government cannot budge an inch from it. Tata should honour this feeling of the government and only then an atmosphere of good will can be created.

Mamata Banerjee has emotionally solved many issues such as Darjeeling or Jangalmahal. She is now trying to solve the Singur issue, but cannot show such emotional broadmindedness to the Tatas. Her movement was against the Tatas. This is a fact which should not be ignored by the Tata group. The way they showed their support for the CPI(M) before the election by giving newspaper ads is enough to reveal that it is the Tatas who harbour ill feelings against the State government. They should come forward first by shedding their one-eyed attitude, return the land to the unwilling farmers and drop the case against the state government so that a new site can be found out for their investment. Undue comments will only add to inimical relations between the Tata and the State government.