[Reader-list] [The Moderates] Ramchandra Guha is Wrong

[A. Mani]

On Thu, Jun 30, 2011 at 7:41 PM, Anil Bhatia <anilncr at gmail.com> wrote:
> Mani sir,
> Not sure about the other points, but for sure, the 3rd point is true - West
> Bengal remains one amongst the most backward states.

That is not true and is a myth propagated by corporate media. In fact
it has been ahead of other states during Left rule in plenty of
sectors including agriculture, health, inequality reduction, SME and
HDI (despite the population and central discrimination). Industrial
development and investment in infrastructure has also been good,
though all these will worsen under the present regime. Though the
three tier Panchyati Raj system was introduced in 1977 in the state
(and this was adopted only 16 years later throughout the country), the
level of development of panchayats is behind Kerala.

Statistically all these are well supported.

>From the POV of middle and upper middle classes .... you can see the
archives in this thread
http://www.skyscrapercity.com/showthread.php?t=201672&page=5

> As I sit typing this in Kolkata, I can't wait to get back to Mumbai, a city
> I otherwise despise, being from Delhi. But Kolkata makes Mumbai look
> remarkably good.

Depends on which part of the city you are in...95% humidity

> It is ironical that history would record Left Front's biggest achievement as
> land reforms (Operation Barga), and record its biggest failure as forced
> land grab (Singur, Nandigram).

Not land grab ... there were administrative mistakes... top-down
planning. In Nandigram it was also war with the Maoists in collusion
with TMC. If the central govt follows neoliberal policies, then states
do not have the power to oppose endlessly.

Even during the 7th LF Govt, ~800 acres of land were distributed to the poor.

Details of industry related land distn here:
http://pd.cpim.org/2011/0306_pd/03062011_5.html


Best

A. Mani



-- 
A. Mani
ASL, CLC,  AMS, CMS
http://www.logicamani.co.cc