Nano- The Other Story
Nano, a name of another dream in this world of hopelessness. For Middle class people who dream to ride on a four wheeler it is the name of a solution. A car in Rs.1 lack (3500 US dollar) was beyond our thinking even a few years back. But Tata, one of the most reputed companies of India and very much known for its contribution to the ‘Indian Dream’ deserve all the kudos to make this impossible task into a reality.
When Tata Chief Mr. Ratan Tata revealed the small Nano to the rest of the world few months back our eyes just flashed with awe for the man. Newspapers, Channels, Magazines across the world etc everywhere columnist, analyst used so much of inks, time space to praise this effort by an Indian. Our Indian representatives of Media even argued to give Mr. Ratan Tata the highest civilian honour ‘Bharatratna’ for representing India Inc on the global stage.
Probably all this news did not reach even the hapless peasants who lost their lands and means of livelihood for the Tata Motors Factory which is supposed to produce Nano in Singur, a small known place in the district of Hoogley in West Bengal. Their dreams were already shattered the day West Bengal Govt. acting as middleman grabbed the multicrop agricultural land. Prominent English newspaper of West Bengal The Statesman exploded a bomb after a month of this land grabbing. They somehow got to know the secret agreement between Tata Motors and West Bengal Govt.
For a small car factory one company needs maximum of 300 acres of land. But why West Bengal govt clandestinely gave away 1000 acres of land to Tata Motors? A pertinent question that literally kept the people baffled. For the Nano project West Bengal Govt. did not ask Tata Motors for the blue print of the project and gave away the land just for its reputation. While analysts found that to produce a single Nano it would cost them around Rs. 1.5 lack. So why Tata is so generous to continue with the production even bearing such a great deficit on each car? Mr. Ratan Tata really deserves the ‘Bhratratna’ then for being such benevolent.
But there is another coin of the story. As after the massive urbanization happening throughout the country most of the prominent companies are shifting their industries from the prime land of the city towards any corner of the state and pave a way to enter into the Real Estate business which is so famous these days among the corporate. Tata is probably among them and used the mind so well in the Singur case. Singur is located 35 km away from the main Kolkata and on the way of the future industry belt of Asansol-Kolkata. So as little known places of yesterday like Noida and Gurgaon for its location near New Delhi become one of the emerging city for the elites and price for the flats touched the cost of Rs.50 lacks Singur may see same thing in the near future. And by entering into the Real Estate business by building skyscrapers on the rest of the 700 acres at Singur Tata would definitely make up the loss in producing Nano at such low costs.
But where the question of ethical business will go? Why thousands of peasants were forced to leave their lands with which they are emotionally attached? Why the family livelihoods of so many peasants was allowed to be affected for such vicious plan of Tata by West Bengal Govt which take the oath in the name of its people not by any corporate. There are only questions but no answers.
