Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
06CALCUTTA454
2006-10-10 12:27:00
UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY
Consulate Kolkata
Cable title:  

STATEWIDE STRIKE IN WEST BENGAL EXTENDS THE HOLIDAY WITH

Tags:  ECON EIND EINV PGOV IN 
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VZCZCXRO4148
PP RUEHBI RUEHCI
DE RUEHCI #0454 2831227
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
P 101227Z OCT 06
FM AMCONSUL CALCUTTA
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 1196
INFO RUEHNE/AMEMBASSY NEW DELHI PRIORITY 1064
RUEHCG/AMCONSUL CHENNAI 0423
RUEHBI/AMCONSUL MUMBAI 0423
RUEHKA/AMEMBASSY DHAKA 0258
RUEHKT/AMEMBASSY KATHMANDU 0258
RUEHLM/AMEMBASSY COLOMBO 0093
RUCPDOC/DEPT OF COMMERCE WASHINGTON DC
RUEHRC/DEPT OF AGRICULTURE WASHINGTON DC
RUEHCI/AMCONSUL CALCUTTA 1463
UNCLAS CALCUTTA 000454 

SIPDIS

SENSITIVE
SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: ECON EIND EINV PGOV IN
SUBJECT: STATEWIDE STRIKE IN WEST BENGAL EXTENDS THE HOLIDAY WITH
LITTLE REAL EFFECT

REF: CALCUTTA 0453

UNCLAS CALCUTTA 000454

SIPDIS

SENSITIVE
SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: ECON EIND EINV PGOV IN
SUBJECT: STATEWIDE STRIKE IN WEST BENGAL EXTENDS THE HOLIDAY WITH
LITTLE REAL EFFECT

REF: CALCUTTA 0453


1. (SBU) SUMMARY: On October 9, the All-India Trinamul
Congress (AITC),the state's main opposition party, called a
12-hour general strike, forcing closed most business and
government offices in West Bengal. The strike was called to
protest the West Bengal's government's acquisition of fertile
agricultural land for a Tata Motors automobile factory (reftel).
The AITC also wanted to highlight a police crackdown last week
on Trinamul senior leadership who had gathered at Singur (about
45 miles Northwest of Calcutta) to protest against the
automobile project. Both sides claimed victory after the strike.
The AITC argued that the strike symbolized public opinion
against the state government's actions, while the ruling Left
Front claimed that people had rejected the Trinamul's
"anti-industry" stand by maintaining "business as usual."
Coming on the heels of a Friday local holiday, observation of
the strike by the general public was more a case of extending a
long weekend holiday, rather than an indicator of support for
the AITC's efforts. END SUMMARY.


2. (U) The 12-hour strike in West Bengal, or "bandh" in local
parlance, started at 6 am. Political workers from the AITC
clashed with the police at several places as the demonstrators
tried to stop trains, cars and public transport carrying
commuters to work. A few buses and cars were damaged and 6,000
AITC workers were arrested. Although train stations and
airports were open, travelers found it difficult to reach
downtown after arriving in the city as very few taxis and buses
were available. However, Calcutta's burgeoning IT conclave in
Salt Lake Sector V was relatively unaffected, with the state
government and IT companies taking adequate measure to run their
24 W 7 operations. IT workers arrived at their offices in
advance of the strike's start time. Media reports also
indicated that the tea gardens in North Bengal remained open.
However, attendance in Calcutta's offices was low, with only 50
percent of people showing up for work at the state's
administrative headquarters. Schools and colleges remained
closed, with some students still on vacation after the festive
season.


4. (U) West Bengal's Opposition leader and a senior AITC
member told post that his party was able to drive home the
popular resentment against the state government's anti-farmers'
policy. He said although his party was not against setting up
industries, it was certainly opposed to the process of the land
acquisition at Singur (reftel). He downplayed the significance
of the IT sector's avoidance of the strike, and stated that the
AITC was satisfied with the outcome. He went on to say that
the AITC will continue to agitate until the state government
changes its policy on acquiring agricultural land for industrial
development.


5. (U) The AITC's claim of victory is exaggerated, considering
key businesses and public facilities continued to operate. In
addition, many workers chose not to go to work as the bandh came
on the heels of a Friday holiday for Lakshmi Puja. Low office
attendance was less a reflection of the AITC's strength and more
a case of people enjoying a four-day holiday.


6. (SBU) COMMENT: However, the issue of agricultural land for
industrialization does resonate in West Bengal; a state with a
significant agriculture sector. Even within the Left Front,
the ruling coalition is struggling with an internal debate over
this land question. A senior Communist Party of India - Marxist
(CPM) leader and West Bengal's Minister for Land said that
although land was needed for setting up industries, Singur is a
lesson for the government that it must be sensitive to farmers'
interests. The bandh also revealed that W. Bengal is still
beset by the use of general strikes as the continuation of
politics by other means. Both the Opposition and ruling Left
Front use bandhs as a form of economic extortion to achieve
political ends, without consideration for the serious damage
that it does to the state's economic development. The Leftist
unions will have a chance to wreak their havoc (and test Left
Front unity),when the unions conduct a planned bandh on
November 29.

JARDINE