INTERVIEW: BUDDHADEB BHATTACHARJEE, CHIEF MINISTER, WEST BENGAL
Under him, communist Calcutta is embracing capitalism, compelling labour unions to think twice before calling strikes and rolling out the red carpet for tech companies
A LONGTIME POLITICIAN in India's communist party, Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee became chief minister of the state of West Bengal in 2000. Since then, he's been on a mission to win investment and change perceptions of the state and its capital, Calcutta. He spoke with REVIEW correspondent Joanna Slater at his office in Calcutta's historic Writers Building.
WHEN YOU BECAME CHIEF MINISTER, YOU ADOPTED THE SLOGAN "DO IT NOW." WHAT DID YOU MEAN?
It's a very competitive world. Different states are competing among themselves [for investment]. Therefore I have to perform--perform or perish. We must get rid of "red-tape-ism" and bureaucratic bungling. If I fail to "do it now," then other states will defeat us.
But I know that just because there's a slogan, it doesn't mean that one fine morning all government employees and officers will change their minds. I have to hammer it, time and again.
WHY DID CALCUTTA HAVE SUCH A NEGATIVE REPUTATION AMONG BUSINESSMEN?
In the past, we committed certain mistakes in the trade unions. Sometimes their behaviour was beyond our control. Now we say, look, we won't allow this sort of agitation or intimidation. Wherever I go, either in the chambers of commerce or in the trade unions, I say we want harmonious relations between management and labour. Labour must also understand that competition, productivity, quality of production--this isn't only management's headache. Labourers have to share it, otherwise the industry will collapse and you'll lose jobs.
Another problem we had was because some are still afraid of leftists. If you can do business in China, why not in West Bengal? We have no hidden agenda. We are not fools. Communists are changing the world over, and we are also changing. Now I think the major corporate houses in India understand that we are investment-friendly.
ISN'T IT A CONTRADICTION FOR A MARXIST PARTY TO DISCOURAGE STRIKES?
No. We want to develop West Bengal--in agriculture, in industry, in other areas. Therefore we want stability and peace. Enough is enough. We won't allow any irresponsible behaviour or activities in the name of trade unions. But we don't want slave workers, either. Sometimes workers are being neglected or exploited, so we have to protect their interests also. We have to make a balance.
TODAY CALCUTTA IS ATTRACTING INFORMATION-TECHNOLOGY INVESTMENT FROM COMPANIES LIKE IBM AND WIPRO. BUT AT ONE POINT YOUR PARTY HELPED PROTEST THE ADVENT OF COMPUTERS
That was in the 1970s--that was foolish, foolish. It started when they were going to introduce computers in banks and [insurance companies]. Their employees protested and we supported it. But how can you stop modern technology? Nowadays they have understood . . . We have entered a century where industries will be talent-based.
DID YOU EVER THINK FIVE OR TEN YEARS AGO THAT CALCUTTA WOULD DEVELOP AN INFORMATION-TECHNOLOGY INDUSTRY?
No. We are a late starter, I must admit it. But now things are changing. I went to Hyderabad two months back and met [Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister] Chandrababu Naidu. I jokingly told him, "I'm a late starter but I'm going to come defeat you in two or three years."
WHAT DID HE SAY?
He said, "All right, let us compete."
WOULD YOU SAY YOU'RE WEST BENGAL'S CHIEF SALESMAN?
[Laughs] I don't like this corporate language.
Good effort and well written mission statement. However, it all sounds a bit Kolkata-centric. Make sure that this effort does not become too "urban" and hence suffer from the same limitations that Bangalore is experiencing. Also, focusing on Kolkata can potentially narrow the appeal of this effort.
Good luck
Posted by: Debasish Biswas | July 08, 2004 at 09:29 AM