Beleaguered Buddhadeb gets prime support in SEZ war

NEW DELHI: Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on Thursday attempted to adopt an above-the-fray position in the row over West Bengal’s industrialisation policy. In the process, he gave handsome backing to chief minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharya.

“I do sincerely believe that my friend Buddhadeb is right when he says the time has come in this country to work steadfastly to rapidly industrialise the economy,” the prime minister said while replying to the motion of thanks on the presidential address in the Rajya Sabha.

Although the CPM’s central unit had initially come to the aid of the chief minister, intense opposition from within the alliance and protests from outfits such as Jamiat-e-Ulema-Hind saw the party backing out. Former chief minister Jyoti Basu had also lent his support to the sceptics of the policy when he said the state government should proceed only after holding wide-ranging consultations.

The prime minister’s statement on the issue is in line with his larger point about the need for bipartisan support for economic issues. But in reality, this is a tough task as Mr Singh’s own party is now an ardent critic of Nadigram and Singur projects.

In this context, the prime minister’s support will not have any impact on the ground. Of course, it will serve the purpose of sending a message that the PM was against making economic issues matters of contest. But it can acquire a meaningful dimension only if he manages to get his party to abandon its obstructionist line and back the chief minister’s industrialisation policy.

With all major anti-Left forces arrayed against the chief minister and his policies, the Congress will not risk inviting the charge of supporting the CPM-led government. For, any such move will only reinforce the charge that the Congress has given up hopes about its revival in states controlled by powerful regional players.