Too inspired by Ziang Jemin

The CPIM government in West Bengal might have taken a leaf out from China’s book Of development when it tried to force development in Nandigram. Like in China, Buddhababu wants India too to build SEZs on dead bodies of its own citizen – nothing wrong in it he thinks ; after all didn’t Stalin develop the Soviet through his oppressive methods?

I think it is high time the communists in India realized that they are in a functioning democracy especially so in WB where they have been running a government for the past 30 years.

In communism a group of intelligentsia sitting in the Politburo office far removed from the people can take a decision and implement it through any means it deems fit. But in Democracies, while the cabinet can take a decision far away from the people – it must sell it to the people before it can implement it.

The ways of democracy are inclusive, made up of techniques like consensus building. Bengal is not the first state in India to be industrialized and to open SEZs. So many others are far ahead of it – but never did a situation like Nandigram arise earlier. In all earlier cases, the people were partners to the process of economic development; they were sold the idea of industrialization by their local leaders, more so – they were empowered to reap the benefits of the development.

What the people in Nandigram are afraid of is that while they will loose their land to the SEZ, they will not get benefited by it. Clearly, there is a need of leaders who can convince them, sweep aside their fears and involve them in the process of development.

Unfortunately – leaders available to them are either elitist leaders like Arundhati Roy or those like Mamta Bannerjee who just create controversies – don’t solve problems. Bengal needs leaders who understand development and can sell it to the people not with force but with tact. But alas what Bengal has is Buddhababu – and we must live with it!

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