For the last eight years under the Trinamool led Government Bangla is ahead on all fronts. The high tide of development is spreading through all of Bengal. In 2008, the place from where Mamata Banerjee vowed for change is also happy now. The farmers from whom land was grabbed by the Left Front Government are truly happy now. Recently, a video went viral in social media named ‘Singur: the land of prosperity’. In this video the local farmers are seen heaping praise on Trinamool Government.
The video starts with pictures of green Singur. It follows avenues with trees on either side. The farmers are working in their farmland. One of them was straight-cut in saying, “We were suffering earlier. We never got the fair price for our crops. We are getting fair price only after the Trinamool government came to power. The farmer’s market has been a boon to us. We can sell paddy at a fair price today.” Another farmer was of the opinion that since they were given Rs 10,000 to buy agricultural tools, they are now happy to continue farming in their land.
It is not only limited to getting benefits in agricultural work. The local people associated with agriculture informed us that their financial condition has improved as well. An elderly person told us that, “If you ask me about financial conditions, the present Government has helped us farmers in myriad ways. For example, they help us by providing seeds, fertilisers, and medicines free of cost”. Another person can be heard echoing his sentiment, “We are much better off now”.
In the video we see a potato farmer saying, “Just before we were about to harvest our potatoes, we faced massive rains and hailstorms. So whatever potatoes we could manage to save, we kept them in cold storages. Earlier we used to get around Rs 120 in the market for them. After the Trinamool government came to power, we are now getting Rs 340 to Rs 350. Another person says straightforwardly, “We gain or livelihood by farming. Due to the present Government we have benefitted by getting improved irrigation facilities. The Government has helped us tremendously, we are much better off now”. So it is clear that compared to Left Front rule, the people are living in much better conditions now. It can be said that through this viral video, a slice of Singur has been presented, a Singur where farmers now don’t lose their lands due to the cruelty of the regime. They are spending their days farming happily, and in peace.
