Has Mamata Banerjee finished West Bengal in the span of a decade?
Or do we not know the real story of Shonar Bangla yet?!
“What Bengal thinks today, India thinks tomorrow”
~ Gopal Krishna Gokhale
Bengal- one of India’s most significant states in terms of its historical background, rich culture, literary and artistic contributions - is recognized for its distinct geographical location, unparalleled heritage, and distinguished lineage. Labelled as the “symbol of India’s intellectual modernity” Kolkata, the state capital, is the birthplace of countless intellectuals and architects of this great nation.
Kabiguru Shri Rabindranath Tagore, Rishi Bankim Chandra Chattopadhyay, Raja Ram Mohun Roy, Swami Vivekananda, Amartya Sen are just some of the several hundreds of names that come up as soon as one begins to draw up a list of gifts the soil of this great East-Indian state has bestowed upon us. Its contribution to the Nation’s freedom struggle using might and mind is well known and written about.
It is little wonder then, that the Bengalis are fiercely proud of their culture, their language, their heritage, their identity.
But with all this incredible history and unmatched vision for the future, how is it that today Bengal doesn't exude the same power it used to for a long long time in history? Once known to be an industrial hub, West Bengal now seems to be facing rapid industrial decline with its industrialisation supposedly harmed by the state government’s apathy. How can a state like Bengal whose natives have shaped Independent India’s early economy, be in such shambles when it comes to its own economic growth?
Did it go wrong in choosing its leaders? Or did it not go wrong at all and are just being sidelined by a myopic media that loves to highlight a certain party’s achievements while undermining everyone else’s?
Let's give you a few pointers to decide from:
- West Bengal is India’s sixth-largest state in terms of economic size. It is also the largest producer of rice and a major producer of fish in the country. It also stands second in terms of Tea production accounting for almost 30% of India’s total output.
- Being one of the most densely populated states in the country, West Bengal still contributes 5.7% to the country’s Gross Domestic Product. Primarily an agrarian economy, the state’s service sector surprisingly contributes over 53% to its GDP.
- The state budget prioritizes spending on social security, rural development and education as opposed to other states where Housing takes precedence.
- West Bengal has been ranked number one in the growth of per capita net (at current prices) in 2020–21, as per RBI Handbook of Statistics.
- Its Ease of Doing Business rank has categorically improved over the past 5 years — taking it even higher than a Gujarat and a Maharashtra.
But it's not all rosy:
- West Bengal’s share in the country’s GDP has declined over the past years as other states caught up faster.
- Per capita income continues to languish at a paltry Rs. 67300 per annum.
- 70% of the state’s population still lives in rural areas.
- While states like Gujarat and Maharashtra naturally attract lakhs of crores in FDI, West Bengal gathers only 0.7–1% of the total share of FDI inflows to the country.
- The state’s debt seems to be burgeoning with a fiscal deficit almost expected to double what it was in 2019–20 by 2021–22.
It can't be denied that Bengal politics has had a significant impact on the state’s current plight, whatever that may be.
The once all-powerful Left is now barely in the picture on Bengal politics. However, if one needs to pin the blame of industrial and economic decline in West Bengal, it is often on the head of this radical regime. As Amartya Sen famously said in the year 2016:
“The Left has played a major role in destroying industrialisation in Bengal. We must accept that. Only when they decided that policies must be changed, the people decided to change the government instead. I think there is some problem in the way with which the Left party thinks over an issue.”
If the Left front laid the groundwork for Bengal’s bad governance, Mamata Banerjee’s rule seemed to have further aggravated an already severe downfall of a once highly-entrepreneurial state.
The tragedy of Bengal Politics- From ‘Vietnam’ to ‘Nandigram’
‘Tomar Naam Amaar Naam Vietnam Vietnam’ was a popular slogan when the Left Front had a stronghold in the state. Communism was on the rise, the Left had ruled the state for seven consecutive terms, from 1977–2011. In the 2011 assembly elections, the Trinamool Congress (TMC) ousted the Left government, putting an end to the uninterrupted Left hegemony.
Since the departure of the Left Front, now the popular slogan in Bengal is ‘Tomar Naam Amaar Naam Nandigram Nandigram’. Nandigram became a landmark point in Mamata Banerjee’s political career, and in Bengal’s political life.
However, Bengal’s fortunes seemed to have only changed in terms of identity, not economy, as the slogan implies. It may not be an exaggeration to say that violence and corruption have now become a representation (or shall we say, misrepute) of Bengal. This usually bodes ill for businesses — both domestic, looking to expand horizons as well as foreign, who are looking for a foothold in the local economy.
The most concerning problem in Bengal today is the state government’s inability to provide adequate employment opportunities to its constituents. But this isn't so far out from the national numbers.
In fact, according to CMIE data, despite Covid -induced lockdowns, Bengal has almost shown a 50% drop in the unemployment rate in November 2021, beating even states like Maharashtra at the statistics.
The Chief Minister, Ms Mamata Banerjee is definitely the most sought-after faces in the state and enjoys enormous popularity amongst her constituents. But it would be unfair to overlook the inability of her Government to attract prospective investors to the state.
The well-popularized snub to large conglomerates like Tatas during the Singur days, kept most investors in a wait-and-watch mode even as the Government kept reassuring them of safety and the Ease of Doing Business.
“There would be no killings, no disturbances. You will not be deprived. But if there is any dispute it would be solved through negotiations and by exploring options.”
Apart from the economic recession, Bengal has also experienced a fair history of violence, much of it in Mamata Banerjee’s reign. The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) at one time even concluded in its report on the post-election violence in West Bengal that “thousands of individuals have been subjected to murder, rape, displacement, and intimidation in the previous few of months.” It also accused the Mamata Banerjee administration of allowing violence to grow in the aftermath of the election results.
Surprisingly though, National Crime Records Bureau showed a different story in their September report — The crime rate in West Bengal (186.6) was way below the National average (478.4). The state also recorded lower rates of crime against women as compared to states like Telangana, Haryana and Rajasthan.
That brings us to an interesting question — Is everything all that bad?
While it can be agreed that the Mamata government’s economic policies aren’t the greatest, but some of her work for the underprivileged and her women constituents beats several of India’s more affluent states.
The Kanyashree Prakalpa scheme, for example, can surely be called one of the primary reasons for her immense popularity in her state. Other schemes, such as Sabooj Sathi, Yuvashree, DuareRation, Lakshmi Bhandar, Swashtya Sathi and Fair Price Medicine Shops, have aided the state’s marginalized population the most, and in turn — Mamata’s immense mass appeal.
But where does that bring us?
While it is undeniable that the reputation of Bengal has surely lost its sheen over the years, the people of Bengal have been prodded to live on false hope and misguided pride. New ideas and visions for the state’s social and economic development continue to elude the Government at the helm of affairs of a state like Bengal.
Jobs, industry, a strong healthcare system, a believable legal setup are perhaps required to restore the true actual Bengali pride. The brain drain of talent thanks to lack of opportunity is pushing those remaining back home sternly off the path of development too. Shoving money in the mouths of all those who dare to open it against a corrupt system of delusive politics would not be an everlasting game for those at the helm for West Bengal.
As the ruling party Trinamool Congress leaves its home bastion to spread its wings out far and wide towards other Indian states, the upcoming years would be crucial for them to work on situations back home as well.
