SINGUR SOLUTION IS REALLY ABOUT ENFORCING PROPERTY RIGHTS
By Manuwant Choudhary
The farmers of Singur alongwith Mamata Banerjee have achieved in Communist West Bengal something that cannot be done in socilaist India, where there is no property rights.
LAND FOR LAND is about property rights.
Mamata Banerjee has shown the way that force cannot be allowed in India..that land cannot be taken away by law or by anyone against the wishes of the people.
Its an irony that the capitalist Tata is on the side of the communists while the naxals are on the side of the property holders.
Thanks to the intervention West Bengal Governor Gopalkrishna Gandhi Singur has been solved, but doing what Mamata did in Bengal for every land acquisition is the real challenge.
Ultimately, property rights must be re-introduced in our fundamental rights and the fundamental rights must be sacrosanct.
Thats the challenge for liberals.
It does not matter whether Nano costs Rs.1 lakh or more or whether production starts in October or not.
Without property rights, for all who love freedom Nano would be a Na and No...
3 comments:
Just as Tata Nano has the potential to transform the process of industrialisation in India, so too has the Singur land protest the potential to transform politics in India.
It is a real pity that these two perspectives are pitted against each other in Singur.
This apparent paradox can only be resolved, if we look through the lens of property rights.
For instance, Tata did India proud by acquiring famous international automobiles brands like Jaguar and Land Rover. But then why should Indian farmers continue to suffer from land ceiling which prevents natural economic consolidation of agriculture land? It Tata can buy Corus Steel, why can't Indian farmers have the freedom to decide what best use to put their land to?
If an industry cannot legitimately buy land for their activities, we must demand liberalisation and reform in the land market, not nationalisation of land market.
Just as no one wants to nationalise a successful company like Tata Motors, we should not seek to nationalise farmer's land, by asking the government to acquire that land.
If we allow our farmers to experience the benefits of free market in land, the farmers will be happy to optimise their land resources, and rationally decide whether and how much land to sale, rent, or lease, at a mutually agreed price between buyers and sellers.
excellent piece of advice, manu and barun. even on the last post.
It is quite disapointing that, even mamta does not talk of property rights...though she seems to have done than all the liberals put together.
I think we missed the bus...again.
I was wandering over the internet to get Mamata Banerjee WhatsApp number and came across this post. Land acquisition is a very serious matter. I totally agree with Barun's answer.
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