How is communism holding some states back?

My encounters in Malda district of West Bengal reinforced the fact that the communism is a cancer for any state.

                Just a few months away from elections the political colours in the state were ripe when I visited one of its towns called Malda. After a long lull the politicians were haunting the streets. A few yards away was the square considered to be most auspicious for starting one’s political campaign.

The words of the speakers were resonating in the ears of all those who were as far as two km from this place. The speakers were of those old types that would create more disturbance than the desired sound. 

Not to my surprise the agenda of the campaign was neither employment nor growth. Like the olden days the politicians of WB are still clinging on to issues like sale of stake in PSUs by the central govt and the culmination of nuclear deal.

As known to everyone they are against to any kind of privatization, they must be awarded for creating a kind of cynicism among the youth against the private sector. No wonder big organisations have all left the state. Kolkata which was once hub of Jute industry harbours a small no of Jute mills today.  

                 The main source of employment is Rikshaw pulling or vending as small shopkeeper. The hand pulled cart which are a blot on human dignity are still ferrying there.  On the road the Ambassador is still available in a large number.

Child labour is rampant with small restaurants and lodges having the highest density of child labourer. Either the age of labour class is very high, above 40 or very low, below 15, because the cream of the labour force migrates to greener pastures where there are higher wage rates. In fact there is no enforcement of minimum wages.

During my 3 months of stay in WB there were 5 “Bands” called for by different parties.

Malda like the rest of WB has vary fertile land as forms a part of the delta, still it reels under poverty thanks to the politics.

There were no fast food chains in Malda not because the people there didn’t like fast food but because some self styled association go on strike claiming that it would cause loss of business for small vendors if some chain wants to setup their business there.

The ongoing legislative assembly elections hold the key of transformation of the state but it is too early predict anything.

Apologies to my Bengali friends if they dont like it, this note is not to offend anyone neither is it meant to question the greatness of West bengal, its culture.  But anyone who has been there would agree with me if not fully to a cartain extent.