Quoting King - I have a dream

The writing on the wall is now clear for all to see, since the Honorable Supreme Court of India today (31.08.2016) quashed the allotment of 1,000 acres by the former CPI(M)-led government in West Bengal to Tata Motors in 2006 for the company's long aborted project to start a car plant in Singur (in West bengal), declaring that the “entire acquisition process was illegal”.

The Bench has ordered the State government to identify the land acquired in 10 weeks and return the land to the farmers in the next 12 weeks.

Looking back, we can see that it was on July 18, 2006 (a little over 10 years ago) that Mamata Banerjee had sown paddy near Singur to show her first mark of protest, and then on December 3, 2007 Banerjee had announced an indefinite hunger strike on the issue. Interestingly, on January 18, 2008 the Calcutta High Court had uphold the Singur land acquisition, declaring it is legal!

Subsequently, on August 24, 2008 Mamata Banerjee had initiated her indefinite dharna at Singur and remained steadfast on this cause, in spite of severe protests from the urban Bengalis from the State and across India & the overseas Indian Bengali diaspora, and perhaps from many urban Indians born and brought up liberal dose of un-social capitalism. Finally on October 7, 2008 Tata Motors announced the shifting of the car plant from Singur to Sanand, Gujarat. Mamata Banerjee, ofcourse drew a lot of flak from the press for this, and more importantly for the supposedly non-supportive role of the people she claimed she represented in the expansion of large capital in the state (West Bengal) - for driving the proverbial final nail on the coffin called Bengal.

However, in the aftermath of today's epic decision by the Apex Court, it now appears that had Banerjee not steadfastly remained committed to the cause and to her conviction that the process of land acquisition was unfair, such a landmark judgement could not have been reached.

Hence, today's Supreme Court verdict, might be branded in history as landmark, in more ways than one - one for sure that what a small but economically dominant minority may often think is good for itself may not always be for the greater good and a greater cause. Hence, if one believes, that injustice has been done, one must protest and remain bound to it, come what may.

I am hopeful, that the Supreme Court shall one day come out a similar landmark judgement on the Armed Forces (Special Powers) Acts (AFSPA).

Like to end by quoting Martin Luther King Jr - "I Have a Dream"

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