The stand-out quality of the Left, in India and elsewhere, is general insouciance in the face of a failed model of development and governance. Anyone watching the lofty manner in which Left leaders over the years have berated the central government in Delhi for everything from failed economic development to a variety of other sins, would think that Left rule in the states has produced vastly superior results and therefore presents a better alternative. But no one can labour under that illusion after reading the paper produced recently by two Delhi-based economists, Bibek Debroy and Laveesh Bhandari. The study shows how West Bengal, which has been under continuous Left Front rule for over 31 years, has lagged behind other states on virtually every parameter. The two economists say that the state has more widespread poverty, virtually no employment growth, and poor educational attainments. It lags behind even Jharkhand when it comes to roads, electricity and drinking water. The school drop-out rate is worse in only four states in the country; the percentage of households with drinking water is three times as high in Maharashtra and Tamil Nadu. And there is virtually no capital expenditure financed out of the state budget. Other recent compilations have focused on more negative aspects; an Assocham report, for instance, has dwelt on the fall-out of Singur and Nandigram, with the state slipping rapidly in a ranking of where industrial investment is going. But it is evident that the problems date back to well before these two flashpoints on the map became national issues.
In the early years of Left Front rule in the state, the routine was to blame the Centre for the state’s non-performance, and to complain about step-motherly treatment by New Delhi. That complaint has not been heard in recent years; indeed, the chief minister is said to be quite happy with what he gets out of New Delhi. And the Debroy-Bhandari study makes the point that the state has made poor use of Central schemes like the rural employment guarantee programme, apparently because of the weaknesses of the state administration.
Thirty-one years is not a short period of time in which to show some results. The conclusion can only be that the Left has not been able to deliver with its model of economic development, such as it is. Other states have pulled ahead for a variety of reasons. So it is not the case that the job can’t get done. One result is that educated youngsters who want to get ahead in life are leaving the state in droves, and heading for other places near and far. Yet, the people of the state are now caught in such a warped political mindset that few see the possibility of anyone other than the Left Front coming back to power in West Bengal. The question is whether the Left parties are capable of turning the spotlight on themselves and their governments, and asking themselves the tough but honest questions. On the face of it, the very thought is blasphemous.
