Kolkata, August 22
On the eve of Mamata Banerjee’s indefinite sit-in demonstrations in front of the Tata Motors’ plant at Singur, Tata group chairman Ratan Tata today threatened that they would move out from Singur if the project continued to be dogged by political opposition and violence.
“...and if anybody is under the impression that because we have made this large investment of about Rs 1,500 crore... and because we have made this investment, we will not move, they are wrong. Because, we would go whatever the cost,” he told reporters here.
Tata made it clear that they would not remain in Bengal as “an unwanted resident” and he also would not ask employees of Tata Motors and their families to stay at Singur and be beaten up and hurt by the agitators. He was in the city for attending the Tata Tea’s annual general meeting.
Tata, it seems, does not want to get themselves “involved” in the Singur issue which has now turned into a political battle between the CPM and the Trinamool Congress.
Reacting to Tata’s threat, the Trinamool Congress supremo, at a hurriedly called press conference at her Kalighat residence, said both Tata and the state government were now trying to blackmail the poor farmers fighting for the return of their farmlands acquired ‘forcibly’ for Tata Motors.
Incidentally, the CPM today organised a massive rally at Singur for countering the Trinamool Congress’ agitation which industries minister Nirupam Sen and other CITU leaders addressed. The state government also deployed over 50,000 police force for maintaining peace at Singur so that there was no obstruction to the normal functioning at the Tata Motors during the agitation programme beginning August 24.
Leaders of different political parties and many social activists like Medha Patkar, Anuradha Talwar, writers Mahasetwa Devi and Arundhuti Roy and other eminent intellectuals would also be participating in the farmers’ agitation.
Mamata alleged that “the blackmailing tactics and the threat plan” were designed jointly by Chief Minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee and Nirupam Sen which Tata had just executed after their secret meeting held last night at a hotel where Tata was staying.
