Bengal banks on Cyrus for Singur breakthrough

As Bombay House is gearing up for a new innings with Cyrus Mistry, the West Bengal government with Mamata Banerjee in the forefront is now hoping for a turnaround in its relationship with the Tata group chairman that may end the protracted battle.

The state had previously made headlines because of an indefinite siege in Singur against the Nano project which ultimately resulted in its relocation to Gujarat.

"We are not against any industrial group. There is a change in top management (in the Tata Group). You will see what happens next," said West Bengal Industry Minister Partha Chatterjee. He evaded a responding to whether the government will now approach the Cyrus Mistry-led Tata group for an out of court settlement in the dispute over Singur land.

...

The sudden change of heart on the part of the State Government is, however, more than apparent, as the minister was quick to point out that it was inviting Cyrus Mistry for its annual industrial meet, Bengal Leads, scheduled for next month. This is for the first time, the state government will be inviting the Tata chairman for any state sponsored event.

Incidentally, only weeks back, Chatterjee had told the media that the government "did not feel it necessary to invite the Tatas" at the investors' meet organised in Delhi, when asked about the absence of any representative from the industrial house.

In fact, many in the Trinamool Congress are of the view that Mamata Banerjee's Singur movement against "forcible land acquisition" by the previous Left front government, had somehow turned into a feud against Ratan Tata.

...

During the Singur agitation in 2008, Mamata Banerjee herself had often pointed fingers at Ratan Tata, alleging his "collusion" with the then chief minister Budhadeb Bhattacharjee for acquisition of land in Singur.

TMC leaders pointed out that Ratan Tata too often had made personal attacks on Mamata Banerjee with his comments like "Banerjee has pulled the trigger" or "There is a bad 'M' and a good 'M'," after Narendra Modi's Gujarat became the home for his Nano small car project

As Cyrus Mistry takes over the reins of the $100 billion Tata group today, the state government, which has in recent time has been at the receiving end of Singur's wrath for its unfulfilled promise of returning back land to unwilling farmers, believe this can well be a starting point for some kind of breakthrough in the Singur deadlock.

...

"A government cannot afford to continue a stand against an industrial group like that of the Tatas. But unfortunately over the last few years things have moved in a way, where even if you wanted, you could not rebuild the relationship. Ratan Tata's retirement might just give the exit route for the government to end this feud against Tatas," said a senior Trinamool Congress leader.

Also, TMC top leadership is under pressure as there are rising number of voices in the party, who like rebel Singur MLA Rabibndra Nath Bhattacharya, want the state government to initiate talks with Tata Motors to resolve dispute. Senior leaders like state Panchyat minister Subrata Mukherjee, had also recently gone public asking the government to look for an out of court settlement with Tata Motors on Singur land issue.

As of now the matter is headed for another round of legal battle between the state government and Tata Motors in the Supreme Court after Calcutta High Court quashed the state legislation passed by the Trinamool government to take back the land leased to Tata Motors.