After Regime Change, Singur Hopes For Brighter Future With Industrialisation
Locals assert that if a harmonious coexistence between agriculture and industry is not established in Singur, they will once again seek a change in leadership.
Published : May 7, 2026 at 3:14 PM IST
Singur: The place in Hooghly is synonymous with shattered dreams and anguish. The Left government's announcement on industrialisation, the then opposition leader Mamata Banerjee's stiff protest of land acquisition, and pledges of unwavering support — Singur has witnessed it all. Yet, having witnessed all, Singur found itself with nothing positive.
The BJP's decimation of the TMC's 15-year regime, with a landslide victory in the state for the first time since Independence, has fulfilled aspirations among the locals of renewed hope for industrialisation. While the issue of land distribution remains unresolved, farmers and activists demand that 50% of the acquired land be at best utilised for industrial development and job creation.
It is precisely this line of thought that led them to support the BJP this time around, pinning their hopes on the assurances by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah.
They assert that if a harmonious coexistence between agriculture and industry is not established in Singur, they will once again seek a change in leadership.
Bhuban Bagui, a farmer from Gopalnagar village, said the change in government marks a victory for the people. "Corruption had become a daily occurrence. Court verdicts were disregarded, and falsehoods were peddled day after day. For the time being, the people have found liberation from this situation," he added.
Bagui said Singur served as the stepping stone for Mamata Banerjee to come to power. Yet, she denied the fact later, claiming that Singur did not make her Chief Minister. "We launched our movement to liberate ourselves from the clutches of the CPI(M), placing our trust in the Trinamool Congress. However, the time eventually came when it became necessary to defeat the Trinamool itself," he added.
Bagui said among those who joined the movement, almost everyone has now pledged their support to the BJP. "Our parents never taught us to steal. In the TMC regime, prominent leaders turned more corrupt. This prompted us to turn away from the TMC. We hope the new government will pay close attention to every sector, from education to healthcare, and stand firmly by the side of the people," he noted.
Singur holds a particularly significant position within the state in potato cultivation. However, farmers are not getting a fair price for their produce and are compelled to sell a single sack of potatoes for a meagre sum ranging between Rs 100 and Rs 120. "It is for this very reason that the farming community has withdrawn its support from the Trinamool Congress," Bagui said.
Furthermore, the palpable dissatisfaction with the conduct of outgoing minister Becharam Manna is hard to overlook. Many feel that although the agricultural movement in Singur was spearheaded by farmers, ultimately paving the way for Mamata to become Chief Minister and Becharam to become a minister, he subsequently failed to even recognise those very activists who had propelled him to power. Whenever they attempted to voice their grievances, he would threaten them with legal action.
Nabakumar Ghosh, for instance, owned 12 bighas of land within the premises of the Tata factory site. He utilised a JCB machine at his own expense to reclaim and render about nine bighas suitable for cultivation. Despite court directives mandating that the Trinamool government restore such lands to a cultivable state, Nabakumar still has 2.5 bighas of land lying fallow and unused.
The questions raised extend beyond merely rendering the land arable but also touch upon the issue of ownership. "They returned the land, but did not formally transfer the title deeds to the farmers' names. Where is the proof that this land is truly ours? It is precisely because the farmers of Singur, and indeed the entire state, could no longer place their trust in the Trinamool Congress," said an aggrieved farmer.
"Let us wait and see what the new government does. They claim that industries will be established across 1,000 bighas of land. Employment opportunities are essential for the future generation. If that fails to materialise, the people will once again bring about a change. It was the sheer resentment of the people that led to Mamata's ouster. Whenever we tried to voice our concerns to Manna, he would simply brush them aside. Such grievances simply had to be redressed," he added.
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