Mamata faces political dilution as Left comes out stronger

Kolkata, Oct 4: Once the firebrand opposition in West Bengal, Trinamool Congress leader Mamata Banerjee's absence in today's All Party meet, convened by chief minister Buddhadeb Bhattacherjee, reflects the political void in her camp to take up a cause.

The all party meet which has virtually given the green signal to the Tata's Singur project has not only marginalised Trinamool Congress, but also left the main opposition party with little option but to fall in line.

The Congress have also put forward certain clauses, that the chief minister has agreed to fulfil, but failed to stop the handover of the land to Tata Motors by this December. As a result in actual term it would mean that the industrial giant is not withdrawing from the state.

''The Congress wanted an Agricultural Commission and a comprehensive plan on the general state of agricultural land and the government is already working on it,'' state Industry Minister Nirupam Sen told reporters after the meeting.

So what had begun as a political struggle to allegedly protect the multi crop land at Singur has trickled down to a protest against the attack on the Trinamool activists on September 25.

''The main opposition should understand that industrial development in the state will receive a death blow if the project does not materialise. It was unfortunate that they did not attend the meeting, but hopefully they will understand the importance,'' Sen said.

Mr Bhattacharjee had held out an olive branch calling an all-party meeting to discuss the misgivings of Opposition parties over the setting up of the proposed small car manufacturing plant by Tata Motors at Singur in Hooghly district.

Trinamool Congress will certainly not be wanting to associate themselves with Tata retreating from Bengal and being a blockade in the industrial progress of the state. At the same time 'Didi', as Ms Banerjeee is popularly called, and her close aides need an honourable excuse to beat a hasty retreat.

The Congress, showing political maturity, attended the meeting even as Trinamool leadership maintained the status quo.

Earlier, the Trinamool had demanded that the chief minister ''publicly'' apologise for the police action against its leader Mamata Banerjee and party workers during a demonstration at Singur on September 25 against the land acquisition for the project. Mr Bhattacharjee, in a statement on Sunday, said it was not his intention that such an unfortunate incident should have occurred at Singur. It would have been better had the police action not been necessary, he had said.

On the eve of an all-party meeting over the acquisition of agricultural land for Tata Motors small car project, the ruling Left Front gave the go-ahead and recommended that work for it be expedited.

''There was no difference of opinion among the Front partners on the implementation the project at Singur,'' LF Chairman Biman Bose told reporters.

Even as Mamata Banerjee takes up the cudgels for farmers in Singur,they file up before the government agents issuing cheques for the land acquired. While several have collected theirs, the rest would do so after as the payment resumes next week.

The farmers of 610 acres of land of the 997 acres have already agreed to give up their land and many of the rest are also ready, Mr Nirupam Sen said today.

The Left Front also urged Trinamool Congress to withdraw its call for a 24 hour 'Bangla Bandh' on October nine in protest against acquisition of farmland as it would hinder relief work for thousands of people affected by floods in the state.

The Trinamool is now faced with a greater cause of humanity and instant need for relief against calling a bandh to protest police 'atrocity'.

''They (the LF government) have no intention to settle the issue at Singur.This is an attempt to mislead the people,'' is all the Trinamool top brass could say.

Stating that farmers in West Bengal received compensatory package unlike in other states, Bose said one person each from such families would be given training, while self-help groups would be set up for the women of Singur.

So what does Trinamool Congress fight with or for. Their causes have dwindled over a period of time and the last hustings have proved that the 'new and improved' Left Front is the face of progressive West Bengal.

West Bengal needs an automobile project which would give a fillip to its industrial resurgence. The bandh is still on. Mamata Banerjee as of now is going ahead, but the political goal looks filled in void.

So is this kicking up a dust before the last hurrah? Only time will tell.

UNI