Bengal’s new industrial policy – revive the hand fan and pickle industries

Any industry worth its name must necessarily have investors who would like to see their investments multiply and make profit so that a certain portion can be ploughed back to generate more profits. Obviously, those at the helm of affairs of the industries must be visionaries and must strive to enter global markets where dollars rule. That, unfortunately, cannot be said of West Bengal as things stand right now.
The importance of industries in society needs no emphasis because, while it requires adequate land, it also requires men to work and generate the products that get sold and the proceeds go towards payments of the workers and staff.
It is not that Bengal did not have industries – there are the steel plants in Durgapur and Tatanagar, an automobile industry Hindustan Motors in Howrah, the Dunlop tyre factory apart from the petrochemical project in Haldia and the Garden Reach Shipbuilders. Because of such industries, the surroundings prospered and smaller industries took roots to meet the requirements of the larger companies.

However, at one point of time, industrial unrest began to rear its head and the investors fled – there was rampant intimidation of workers and officers and, violence. The political formation that was in power never realized the folly of driving away those who provided employment to the unemployed.
The result was the creation of a huge mass of unemployed youth who opted to use their muscle power to line their pockets. And, the political leaders decided to exploit this group to hold on to power.
Anyway, when the tide turned and a new political formation came to the forefront, there were hopes that Bengal would regain its lost ground – but, that has remained a dream because of the rigid policies of the government with regard to acquisition of land for setting up industries.
The government proudly talks about its readymade land bank – it overlooks the basic fact that if an industry needs 100-acres and it is spread into tiny pockets of 20 and 30 acres here and there, it just would not serve the purpose.
And, the government says that if it must have 100-acres in a single location, it would have to arrange for it on their own by talking to individual owners. Since that is a difficult task for any outsider, it means he must take the help of local mediators – and they are the goons.
What then is the alternative for industries in Bengal? Well – they can go in for industries that require little or no land. For instance, industries like hand fans, pickles, bamboo products, clay idols, brass showpieces and other cottage industries. That way, the farmers can retain their land and the poets can write poems on the green rice fields swaying in the breeze. (to be continued …)
(Image courtesy wikimediacommons.org)

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