Singur farmers open to industry on infertile land, not fertile fields

Farmers in Singur, known for the 2006 to 2008 protests against the Tata Nano project, have said they are open to industrial development if it creates jobs but insist that such projects must come up only on infertile land and not on fertile, multi-crop fields.

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Ahead of the upcoming Assembly elections in West Bengal, farmers from Singur town and the surrounding community development block in Hooghly district said they support industrial growth in principle. However, they stressed that fertile agricultural land, which sustains thousands of families, should not be disturbed.

A Look Back at the Singur Movement

The Singur issue had earlier changed the political landscape of the state. Protests against land acquisition for the Tata Nano plant led to the exit of the then Left government and helped Mamata Banerjee come to power in 2011, ending 34 years of Left rule. The controversy also led to a 2016 verdict by the Supreme Court of India, which declared the land acquisition illegal and ordered the return of land to farmers.

BJP's Vision for Singur

BJP candidate Arup Kumar Das from Singur said, "If we (BJP) wins, we will try to open industry...At least one member from almost every family goes outside for work. If employment opportunities are created here, people will get work here directly or indirectly. There will be no need for locals to go elsewhere for jobs. Mamata government did not have the intention of opening industries here...There is also ample open land available in Singur where we will develop industries so that people can get job opportunities."

He added, "Our vision is to improve the education system here. At the same time, people who study here will get employment opportunities locally with the opening of industries in the area. We (BJP) will also work to improve healthcare-related issues here (in Singur). I will establish a super-speciality hospital here with departments like cardiology, nephrology, and neurology so that people won't need to travel to Kolkata for treatment. Education, employment, healthcare, and women's safety are the key pillars of our vision that we will work on."

Das also said he has proposed setting up a higher secondary school, a central school, and a Kendriya Vidyalaya in the area.

TMC's Stance on Development

Becharam Manna, Minister of State for Panchayat and Rural Development and the Trinamool Congress candidate from Singur, said the earlier protests were not against industry. "Our movement was not against Tata or any industry. It was because fertile land should not be taken, and farmers should not be forced or coerced into giving up their land," he said.

On future plans, he added, "In 11 years, our government has done a lot of work. If you look at the National Highway (NH2) and the Delhi Road, you will see many small and big industries."

Farmers Reiterate Their Stand

Local leader Dudh Kumar Dhara, who played a key role during the 2006 protests, said, "Singur movement is farmer's movement. Farmers main demand is land which is multi-crop land. Our demand is that this land is farmers' property and it is useful for the country. Our demand is that fertile land should not be destroyed. Almost 30 per cent of the land is cultivated while rest 70 per cent land is infertile. We welcome industries to set up their infrastructure in infertile lands, but not in cultivated lands."

Farmers from Purba Para village echoed similar concerns. Prasonji Das said, "If a factory is built on their fertile land, it will adversely affect their livelihood. We welcome industries but these should be constructed only on infertile land."

Srikant Manna said, "Our government had already restored 90 per cent of the land. We are not against industry. We are not anti-developmen but industries should not be set up on land that is used for farming."

Piyush Kanto Ghose said, "We want that our land should be used both for farming as well as for industry. That's what we believe in, because it will provide jobs to the youth in our families and improve development in the area."

He added, "Even during the movement, this was our stand, and we are saying the same thing today. We are not against any industry. However, industries should not be set up on our agricultural land, especially fertile land. That land should remain as it is. We have no objection if industries are set up on land where farming is not taking place. We have conveyed our views to the candidates during the elections, and our movement's leaders have also raised this issue."