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The Rediff Special/Arup Chanda

'Birthdays in a graveyard'

The Marxist-ruled West Bengal's attempts to attract investment have come a cropper. An "industrial holocaust" looms over the eastern state.

Since 1983, 79 industrial workers have committed suicide -- 32 workers belonged to Oriental Metal Industries alone, 13 to Budge Jute Company, 12 to Hindustan Pilkington Glass Works -- after their units were closed.

Around 2,000 workers succumbed to poverty arising out of unpaid wages. A few months from now, around 130,000 workers of major public sector undertakings and other units are likely to lose their jobs as their factories are on the verge of closure.

Out of the eight PSUs the Union government had decided to close down, six are in West Bengal: Cycle Corporation of India, Mining and Allied Machineries Corporation, Bharat Ophthalmic Glass Limited, Weighbird, Bharat Processing and Mechanical Engineering Limited, National Instruments Limited and Tyre Corporation of India.

In all, 22,000 workers are employed with the six units, and face lay-offs this year.

Sixty-odd collieries of the Eastern Coalfields Limited will also be closed down, as per the suggestions of an expert committee on the feasibility of these mines.

The mines employ about 73,000 workers. The ancillary industries of these mines comprise a workforce of about 35,000 who will also be rendered jobless when the mines become defunct.

In other words, 130,000 workers now employed with collieries face unemployment, a likelihood that is causing heartburn to all the trade unions. For the situation is unprecedented.

They say there are some 5.55 million registered unemployed youth in the state. And if 150,000 workers swell the unemployed list, the state would become an industrial cauldron, a volcano.

That is not all. In the prevailing situation, 96,000 workers belonging to 177 units in the organised sector are without work and wages. And 57,000 units in the small scale industry in the state are either closed or sick.

The Indian National Trade Union Congress is not impressed with the appointment of a committee by the Union Cabinet to review its decision to close down the PSUs. Pramatesh Sen, secretary of the West Bengal unit of the INTUC, says, "All trade unions protested, so it was instituted. The panel will submit its report in May. It's nothing but an eyewash. The units will be closed ultimately."

Trinamul Congress president, Mamta Banerjee, has espoused the workers' cause. Union minister for information and broadcasting, Pramod Mahajan, has recently announced a "Bengal package" at a rally organised by her.

Mahajan said that the Centre was contemplating a revival package for three PSUs -- Hindustan Fertilisers Corporation, Burn Standard Limited and Tyre Corporation of India.

However, according to Sen, "It was nothing but an attempt to pacify Mamta who was critical of the BJP government."

Sen says the whole scenario smacks of a scandal. "Closing industries on the pretext that they are sick, laying off workers citing surplus labour as the excuse, and then wooing fresh investment for new industries... all this is like celebrating birthdays in a graveyard."

Trade union leaders are also angry that the state government should blame the Centre for the recent suicide of a Dunlop worker. "Isn't it funny?" Sen asks. "If industries close in West Bengal and the Marxists cannot do anything about it, then why are they in power? It is ridiculous that they do not know the activities of industrialists."

Another criticism is related to Haldia Petrochemicals Limited. The Left Front has been citing the company in its election manifesto as an achievement since the early '80s. But till date production is yet to begin.

"First it was a joint venture with the Goenkas, who pulled out after a few years. Then came Purnendu Chatterjee of the Soros group and the Tatas five years ago. What is the outcome ? Now we hear there are differences with Chatterjee who might eventually pull out. Haldia Petrochemicals is nothing but a bogey to win elections.

"Let these businessmen who talk about setting up new units state specifically what and how much they will produce, how much manpower they will employ and the date on which the production will begin. None of them does it because their aim is at political power."

The campaign to promote industrialisation, trade unions say, is as much an election gimmick by the ruling Left Front as an attempt by some businessmen to secure state land at throwaway rates and loans from various financial institutions.

Trade unions also outline the modus operandi. The businessmen, they say, raise funds in the name of new industrial ventures and close down the units after a few years, after siphoning off the funds and declaring the unit as sick. Then in the name of revival, they sell off the land to real estate developers who line the pocket of local leaders of the ruling party.

"West Bengal has no infrastructure for modern industry. Instead of seeking fresh investment, Chief Minister Jyoti Basu should concentrate on reopening the closed units," says Sen.

However, Basu has other ideas. At a recent rally of the Democratic Youth Federation of India, he urged the young comrades not to look for jobs but be self-employed. Manpower requirement in modern industries is very less, he told them.

Trade union leaders are seeing red. "What West Bengal will witness very soon is not industrial rejuvenation. There will be a spurt in crime and prostitution, and they will acquire dimensions of an industry,'' one of them said angrily.

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