Thaindian News

Kolkata, April 15 (IANS) West Bengal Chief Minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee Friday said he had made a mistake by believing the opposition would not go beyond a point to scuttle the Nano car project in Singur.

“The factory (by Tata Motor) was almost complete. The only thing required was a little more patience. Opportunity should have been created for the factory to be completed.

“I know you people did not like the way we went about in Singur (when Trinamool Chief Mamata Banerjee started a demonstration near the plant). In democracy use of force does not pay every time. So I showed patience. But that was a mistake. I have learnt my lessons and won’t repeat the mistake,” he said in answer to a question during an interaction with eminent persons on why his government did not deal with the demonstration sternly.

Two years of sustained agitation by Trinamool Congress saw Tata Motors abandon their plan to set up a manufacturing unit at Singur in Hooghly district to roll out the Nano.

On the issue of banning the play ‘Poshu Khamar’, he said: “Whatever happened is regrettable. It should not have happened.” Expressing concern over lack of emerging talent in the field of drama he said: “Drama and theatre have failed to attract the young generation. There is lack of emerging talent and this is not only my view.”

‘Poshu Khamar’ the Bengali adaptation of George Orwell’s “Animal Farm” directed by Arpita Ghosh, a known Left Front baiter, was banned in Hooghly by the district administration.

The programme, ‘Face to face with Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee’, was attended by film director Tarun Majumdar, assembly speaker Abdul Halim, Anglo Indian MLA Barry O’Brien, and writer Abul Bashar among others.

When legislator Barry O’Brien asked how he kept his cool amid the opposition passing personal remarks, Bhattacharjee replied: “I have to be patient. Is there any other way out? Besides I do not give much of an importance to such an opposition.”