My rudimentary knowledge of physics tells me that to break the inertia a stimulus is needed which triggers a friction. This is what is happening in the process of industrialization/urbanization where there is a mass displacement of population and the issue of their resettlement is triggering conflict between India and Bharat.

Both Singur and Vedic village are two burning examples of the issues involved. TATAs selected Singur, out of the various sights shown by the state govt., due to the ready infrastructure. Government initiated the process of land acquisition which got embroiled in the political one up man ship. Some of the displaced farmers wanted a higher compensation.

Their dissatisfaction with the resettlement package and resentment at the high handed approach of left front government made Ms Mamta Banerjee to jump in to the fray with muscle power provided by Maoists/naxalites. Till the plant was being set up the opposition was muted. But just when the unit was about to begin production, the high artillery movement by Ms Banerjee caring little about law and using violence paralyzed the operation forcing TATAs to take cover and shift the plant to Gujarat.

Now the land which has been acquired is no longer suitable for agriculture. But no other industrial house is prepared to bell the cat. All those brother industrialists who had tons of advice delivered through media when the fight was on are no where to be seen having fried their fish in others fat or having curried favor with the political masters whose stock was on the ascend.

Now Ms Banerjee after becoming railway minister wants the undisputed land in order to set up a rail way wagon factory with no study to decide whether such factory is actually needed when some factories are already in the pipe line. In any case the business of the railway is to run rails and not to produce coaches/wagons.

Now no one is willing to compensate TATAs for the development expenditure incurred by them on the land acquired. So the stalemate is likely to continue for a long time. In Vedic village, the promoter Mr Modi with the approval of state govt. hired goons to acquire the land. (Not that he had much of choice seeing the ground reality). Now the goons with their high handed manner created wide resentment among displaced landowners who attacked the spa and burnt it down.

Soon the flames of the scandal became out of proportion and other reality projects in the vicinity also caught fire. As even opposition Trinmool party was also involved in the scandal having wrested control of the area from the left. The proposed land acquisition has come to a halt. All the high profile projects are expected to shift to more congenial atmosphere pushing the development of Bengal by at least a decade.

Whether the Hooghly will survive the slit generated mean while only time will tell. I am sure despite these labor pains the process of industrialization will continue for no one can stop the idea whose time has come. The only point is can the friction be minimized making it easy for all the stake holders to share the fruits of progress in a fair and equitable manner.