PICTURE SPEAK

THE DEBUT: (Left to right) Purie, Mukherjee, Dasmunshi and Chawla release the first issue

That off-the-cuff humour from the editor of India Today, Prabhu Chawla, set the tone for an evening pulsating with energy. Arguments and counters flew thick and fast. Strong words were exchanged and camps were drawn. The hall thronged with ministers, policy wonks and assorted glitterati, while hundreds of enthusiasts tried to keep up with the war of words that spiralled into an ideological tussle. The setting, however, was indicative of a brave new world: "Resurgent Bengal: Is it for real?" India Today threw up the thorny poser with a debate launching its first Bangla edition on August 26 in Kolkata.

PICTURE SPEAK

WORD WAR: Panelists lock horns over doing business in Bengal

Are the sepia-tinted days of sluggish economy and unhealthy politics over? "That things are changing is evident from the shape of Kolkata. The city has lost that look of genteel decay," said moderator Chandan Mitra, editor of Pioneer. The skyline is changing and old and familiar landmarks are getting a welcome facelift. Hotels, restaurants and shopping malls are full. There is money to be spent and there is a willingness to spend it. All these are indicators of a change in mindset and in ambience.

But is this enough? Is the pace fast enough to sustain a take-off? Is it strong enough to instil faith in the investor who is still shy of putting his money on Chief Minister Buddhadeb Bhat-tacharya's promises? To the chief guest, Defence Minister Pranab Mukh-erjee, West Bengal "reflects the same resurgence that is at work beneath the nation's feet."

"It's just a bit of new wind blowing in Bengal. Nothing more," scoffed Priya Ranjan Dasmunshi, Union minister of information and broadcasting. He listed out the current score card: Why are patients from Bengal forced to troop down to the south for treatment? Why have 40 lakh casual labourers migrated to other parts of the country? Why do train loads of students leave for universities elsewhere? "The Left will have to decide whether they wish to swim with Manmohan Singh's open economy, or stick to their landless labourers."

If to Congress MP Adhir Ranjan Choudhury, the resurgence is "much ado about nothing", Nirbed Roy, fellow of Asiatic Society and former Congress MLA, carried the argument forward: "It's resurgence for the CPI-M, not for Bengal." Former Trinamool Congress MLA Sougata Ray poked fun at the reality of resurgence: "The biggest media hype today is being created around the chief minister, Buddhadeb. The Bengal boom is just clever packaging."

The four panelists from the Left ducked the brickbats with verve and vigour. Manab Mukherjee, the minister for tourism, rubbished the charge: "We're next to Gujarat in investments. In per capita income, we are right after Karnataka. In GDP we are after Uttar Pradesh and Maharashtra. In service sector our growth rate is the fastest. We are busy striving towards the number one position once again in everything."

And all this is not at the cost of agriculture, added Shamik Lahiri, the young MP from Diamond Harbour. "Land reforms have brought new money in the countryside and it's strengthening the industrial resurgence," he said. Mohammad Selim, CPI-M MP from Kolkata north-east, was at his sarcastic best: "My opponents, like most Bengalis, are suffering from a pet Bengali malady-suspicion complex. We always refuse to believe in a good thing."

As the debate unfurled and panelists staked out the battleground, outspoken words roiled out of control into a slanging match. Manab Mukh-erjee took a pot shot at the Central Government when he said, "Even the UPA Government looks up to us to learn the nuances of a pro-poor system of governance." However, Dasmunshi was not amused at Mukherjee's invective. "If it's his personal views I don't have any objection. If it's his party's view he's free to write a letter to the Rashtrapati tomorrow and withdraw their support," said Dasmunshi.

Faith, if truth be told about Bengal, has been slow to stir. Holding back faith is a fear of ideology. And the fear springs from uncertainty. Nobody is quite sure how far Chief Minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharya will be able to carry his party and his dreams with him. The time for promise is over. It is now the time to deliver. The spiel around resurgent Bengal is yet another reminder of that.

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