Between an individual’s stubbornness and the future of West Bengal falls a dark shadow. An individual’s pain is often not adequate compensation for the harm caused to a people. The chief minister of West Bengal, Mamata Banerjee, said recently that she had been sad to refuse permission to Infosys to build a SEZ in West Bengal. Her sadness is nothing compared to what the consequences of this decision will mean for the state over which she rules. She also said that she was against SEZs and therefore whatever the reasons for favouring SEZs, her views were unchangeable. She was very stubborn, the chief minister added. There seems to be an undertow of self-satisfaction in the way the chief minister expressed herself. Reason, she appeared to be saying, could not overcome her obstinacy. Thus, all arguments were ruled out.

If the chief minister had been less complacent, she could have perhaps contemplated the price of her stubbornness. The price will be borne by the state of West Bengal and all those who live here. The price tag is also rather heavy. Infosys has put its new projects in West Bengal on hold. There are no grounds for hoping that other IT companies will choose to invest in the state or to expand their scale of operations. This means that no new jobs will be created in the IT sector which is the only one that in the recent past has witnessed a modicum of expansion. If the permission had been granted to Infosys, not only would new possibilities of employment open up, but it would also send a signal to other IT giants. West Bengal is thus the victim of a negative demonstration effect. Future generations will thus suffer for the stubbornness of one individual. This should be seen in the overall context of the dearth of investment in industries in West Bengal. Investors stayed away from West Bengal because of the spectre of communism. Just as things were beginning to look a little positive, there took place the exit of the Tata small car project from West Bengal. The change in political dispensation has not resulted in any growth of confidence among investors. There are two factors that hinder the growth of faith that underpin all investment decisions. One is the government’s policy on land acquisition. The other is the whimsicality of decision-making and the general disregard for the rule of law and contract.

All this underlines the sorry state of affairs in West Bengal and its future. It also emphasizes another point, which is often taken as self-evident while running a government. Decisions should not be taken on the basis of personal likes and dislikes or the basis of individual personality traits, like obstinacy. Decisions need to be arrived at keeping in mind the future of the state. Governance is about foresight. It is not about alliterative slogans and it is certainly not about self-satisfaction.