TATA NANO: AN INTRODUCTION Mr.

Ratan Tata, Chairman of Tata group, who in the year 2003, dreamt of producing a safe, affordable Car for the common man. Tata 'Nano' on 10th January 2007, Tata Nano, cool & smart, launched by Tata Motors is world's cheapest Car with a price tag of $ 2500. The car itself is expected to boost the Indian Economy, create entrepreneurial-opportunities across India, as well as expand the Indian car market by 65%. Nano has been greatly appreciated by many sources and the media for its low-cost and eco-friendly. Tata Group is expected to mass-manufacture the Nano in very large quantities, particularly the electric-version, and, besides selling them in India, to also export them world-wide. Tata initially targeted the vehicle as "the least expensive production car in the world", aiming for a starting price of 100,000 rupees despite rapidly rising material prices. As of August 2008, material costs have risen from 13% to 23% over the cars development, and Tata now faces the choice of: Introducing the car with an artificially low price through govt.-subsidies and tax-breaks, or foregoing profit on the car, or using vertical-integration, or partially using inexpensive polymers or biodegradable plastics instead of a full metal-body. SINGUR ON THE ROAD TO BECOME A MOTHER PROJECT In May 2006, the West Bengal Government decided to acquire 997 acres for the Tata Motors small car factory in Singur. Singur is in Hooghly district, 45 kilometers from Kolkata. According to a govt. Statistical Handbook on Singur block, 83%of the land is irrigated and the crop density is 220%. The crops produced are mainly paddy and potato but jute and a variety of vegetables are also grown in the fields. Almost 6,000 families, including many agricultural workers and marginal peasants will lose their land and livelihoods and in return the project will generate 10000 jobs directly and indirectly. PROBLEMS FACED IN SINGUR The struggle of a substantial number of the people of Singur against the land acquisition began from day one when the Tata company representatives and the officials went to see the land. The people refused to let them reach their fields and blocked their way and the Tata team had to be rescued by the police. Though the State Government has decided to compensate the land owners, no policy has been taken for the landless agricultural workers, unrecorded bargadars and other rural households who are indirectly dependent for their livelihood on land and agricultural activities. Almost all the land owners had also expressed their unwillingness to give their land from the inception of the project, but these appeals have fallen on deaf ears. The farmers complain about 2 things - first is about the low compensation and the second is about the lack of faith in getting the promised money from government. The farmers aren't sure whether government will give them the promised money or not. The acquisition of the entire 895 acres of private land is virtually complete. Each of the landowners has given his consent to acquisition at prices which are much higher than the prevailing rates. Disbursed payments for 550 acres and the rest will be completed within the period of December 2007, the State Commerce and Industry Minister, Mr. Nirupam Sen, told media persons. On 31st Aug, 2008 - 9 months after this statement from Mr. Nirupam Sen and still the payments weren't in the hands of farmers..? If yes then they shouldn't be agitating and if no then the government has to answer why farmers haven't been paid up till now? Mamta Banerjees 'uncompromising' stand on the disputed 400 acres (compensation is pending for 305.47 acres of land among which 51.11 acres are under legal disputes. The actual figure then is 254.36 acres, where the owners have truly refused to accept compensation. Therefore, Mamata Banerjee's demand to return '400 acres' is a blatant lie) of the Tata Motors plant at Singur is approaching the predicted outcome.

MAMATA BENERJEES ROLE IN SINGUR ROW Trinamool Congress (TMC) chief Mamata Banerjee blamed the West Bengal Government for the Singur row as it broke the terms of the agreement with her party. Bhattarjee offered 70 acres in lieu of the Tata Motors project site at Singur to unwilling farmers and monetary compensation to those whose land fell outside, which was rejected by the TMC chief on Friday evening. The Singur agitation intensified On December 4 with Miss Mamata Banerjee going on an indefinite hunger-strike and declaring her moral support to tomorrows SUCIsponsored bandh. After 25 days of persistently refusing to end fasting, on 28th December Trinamool Congress chief Miss Mamata Banerjee called off the hunger strike today. ULTIMATE DECISION TO QUIT FROM SINGUR Amidst the rising protests of the dissatisfied farmers and instances of violence springing around the singur project of tatas, Ratan Tata finally decides to quit Singur on 23rd September, 2008. The decision was taken in order to ensure the safety of its employees and contract labour. The company has assessed the prevailing situation at Singur after five continuous days of cancellation of work and believes that there is no change in the volatile situation around the plant, The Tata Motors announcement came when the agitation, led by the Trinamool Congress outside the site demanding the return of 400 acres of land which it alleges had been acquired forcibly for setting up the project, entered its tenth day. RELOCATION AT GUJARAT Gujarat officials, however, claimed that a site near Sanand in Ahmedabad was the frontrunner in the race. At present, the 2,200-acre site serves as a college and cattle-and-seed farm for the Gujarat Agriculture. As against 1,000 acres on initial offer in West Bengal, Gujarat is offering 1,100 acres. This land is unencumbered and would be sold to Tata Motors at prevailing market rates. Tata Group said the Sanand plant being planned for a capacity of 5 lakh cars a year, up from the Singur plants proposed capacity of 3 lakh cars. The narrow vote seeking politics of mamta banerjee and Trinamool congress can share the winning position along with the people of Gujarat. Along with the jobs generated in the industry at sanand, a lot of ancillaries are also coming up in the surrounding areas which are generating a lot of jobs. Roads are being built up and other amenities are coming up increasing the standard of living of people. Tata motors'' decision to make low cost Nano car in Gujarat has kindled hopes of a lucrative business among the auto-parts making small-scale industrial units in Rajkot JYOTI BASU Jyoti Basu, 8 July 1914 17 January 2010 or Jyoti Bose or Jyotirindra Basu was an Indian politician belonging to the Communist Party of India (Marxist) from West Bengal, India. He served as the Chief Minister of West Bengal from 1977 to 2000, making him the longest-serving Chief Minister of any Indian state. He was a member of the CPI (M) Politburo from the time of the party's founding in 1964 until 2008. From 2008 until his death in 2010 he remained a permanent invitee to the central committee of the party. Basu's schooling started at Loreto School at Calcutta in 1920. However, he was moved to St. Xavier's School in 1925. Basu completed his undergraduate education and received the honors in English from the Presidency College of the University of Calcutta. After completing his undergraduate studies in 1935, Basu set for England for higher studies of Law. Entry into politics Basu's first track in politics was his effort to organize the Indian students studying in United Kingdom, mostly for the cause of Indian independence. Basu was elected to Bengal Provincial Assembly in 1946 from the Railway Workers constituency. He was a member of the Politburo from 1964 onwards. Later political career

Basu was elected to the Bengal Legislative Assembly in 1946, contesting the Railway constituency. When the Communist split in 1964, Basu became one of the first nine members of the Politburo of the newly formed Communist Party of India (Marxist). In 1967 and 1969, Basu became Deputy Chief Minister of West Bengal in the United Front governments As the Chief Minister of West Bengal After the sweeping victory of the Left Front in 1977, Jyoti Basu became the Chief Minister of the Left Front government, a position he held continuously for more than 23 years, a record in the country Under his leadership, the Left Front government embarked on land reforms on a scale unprecedented in the country; it instituted a panchayati raj system which was radical for its times, which gave the poor peasants and small farmers a say in running the panchayati institutions. In 1996 Jyoti Basu seemed all set to be the consensus leader of the United Front for the post of Prime Minister of India. However, the CPI (M) Politburo decided not to participate in the government, a decision that Jyoti Basu later termed a historic blunder. Basu resigned from the Chief Minister ship of West Bengal in 2000 for health reasons, and was succeeded by fellow CPI (M) politician Buddhadeb Bhattacharya The 18th congress of CPI (M), held in Delhi in 2005, re-elected Basu to its Politburo General Secretary Prakash Karat said that the party wanted Basu to continue until its 2008 congress, at which point it would reconsider. At the 19th congress in early April 2008, Basu was not included on the Politburo, although he remained a member of the Central Committee and was designated as Special Invitee to the Politburo. Criticism Basu's tenure as the Chief Minister of West Bengal, the state saw continuous industrial decline. An obituary of Basu on NDTV noted that he had been criticized for economic policies based on his communist ideology, which led to economic stagnation in the state and emigration of workers; removal of English from primary schools and initial support of trade unions against the use of computers, which adversely impacted employment; and, the charge that his party members engaged in corruption and rigging of elections, though such allegations were not proven. Death and tribute On 16 January 2010, his health condition became extremely critical and he was suffering from multiple organ failure. Seventeen days after being taken ill, he died on 17 January 2010. Draped in the national flag, Mr. Basu's body was driven through the streets of Calcutta on a gun carriage. However, the time schedule went awry in his last moments as thousands of people thronged the streets of central Kolkata to pay their last respects to the Marxist veteran. President Pratibha Patil and Prime Minister Manmohan Singh led the nation in mourning the death of the Marxist leader. The Rajarhat New Town located in North 24 Parganas district of West Bengal, is one of India's latest and fastest-growing planned new cities was renamed as Jyoti Basu Nagar on 7 October 2010. NANDIGRAM ISSUE DATE: March 14, 2007 The Nandigram violence was an incident in Nandigram, West Bengal where, on the orders of the Left Front government, more than 4,000 heavily armed police stormed the Nandigram area with the aim of stamping out protests against the West Bengal governments plans to expropriate 10,000 acres (40 km2) of land for a Special Economic Zone (SEZ) to be developed by the Indonesian-based Salim Group. Nandigram is traditionally a region of tea and jute industry. Most of the farmers are illiterate they have less scope to get a good job in SEZ, they can have insufficient jobs. Background The Salim Group was founded by Sudono Salim closely associated with Indonesian ex-president Suharto. The group kept a proposal of developing a chemical hub in front of the WB government. The Government chose the Nandigram area under the SEZ policy. This chemical hub required the acquisition of over 14,000 acres (57 km) of land. The SEZ was to be spread over 29 villages of which 27 are in Nandigram. Causes

Most of the land to be acquired was multi crop and would have affected over 40,000 people. The prospect of losing land and thereby livelihood, raised concerns among the predominantly agricultural populace. The villagers, who included supporters of the party in power, CPI (M), joined hands with other opposition supporters, organized a resistance movement under the banner of the newly formed Bhumi Uchhed Pratirodh Committee or BUPC (Land Liberation Committee). In defense of the project, the state government stated that Nandigram being in the vicinity of Haldia Petrochemicals & IOC refinery, which, the CPI (M) claimed, had earlier led to 100,000 jobs being created through downstream projects, this is the best place to build a hub from the point of view of supply-chain integration. Apart from the SEZ the Salim Group was also assigned the construction of the 100 km long 100 m wide Eastern Link Expressway and construction of a four-lane road bridge over the Haldi River, from Haldia to Nandigram. For more than two and a half months, Nandigram was a ticking time bomb, isolated from the rest of the State as the BUPC dug up roads and damaged bridges leading to the place. It finally exploded on March 14. The police have been accused of using more force than was necessary to disperse the crowd. The scale of the action left the state stunned. Trinamool Congress estimates put the toll at 50. In response to this, people singled out as CPI (M) members and supporters and their families were driven out of the area and the houses burnt. After the bloodshed at Nandigram, and the stiff resistance from opposition parties, chief minister Buddhadev Bhattacharjee on 3 September expressed the government's preference for the sparsely populated island of Nayachar, 30 kilometers from Haldia, to set up the much talked-about chemical hub. The proposed SEZ has ostensibly been shelved following the March 14 police action. On March 14, 2007 The administration was directed to break the BUPC's resistance at Nandigram and a massive operation with 4,000 policemen was launched. A group of armed and trained CPI (M) cadres wore police uniforms and joined the forces. Governor condemned attack High Court terms March 14th firing as unconstitutional. Human rights activists reach Nandigram Mass graves are unearthed Intellectuals protest in Kolkata. WB people Dependant on agriculture, Emotional attachment to land, Unawareness of Industry job opportunities Distrust Industry-exposure to left propaganda, Post Land reforms - the Left has taken no developmental initiative, Agricultural growth rate has tapered off, and rampant trade unions had driven out Industry, No new private investment in Industry, and Government lacks funds for public sector Suggestions Cultivable land should be left alone as far as possible. Acquisition of land should be transparent and with consent of those who would be affected. Explain the importance of the projects. Ensuring generation of employment. Free training and imparting of skills. Not Political gains but interest of common man Jan 12, 2011 Investigate the incident of firing on unarmed villagers by Harmad Bahini on 7th January at village Netai of Lalgarh block, West Midnapur, West Bengal. Villagers told the team that one month ago the camp of CPI (M) formed at the house of the local CPI (M) leader had told the villagers that the camp had been made to establish peace in the area. Villagers were forced to cook and wash clothes for the camp. About 20 to 25 armed persons were at the, One day they forced, at gun point, the villagers to participate in the rally of CPI (M). The non armed villagers were compelled to guard the armed men of the camp. The agricultural work of the villagers was hampered for their service at the camp and also the dignity of the villagers was not protected by the members of the camp

Finally, four days before the incident, the leaders of the camp announced mandate for arms training to the villagers of 18 to 35 years old. It was too much for the villagers. One day the villagers gathered to take arms training in the field. After that, on 6th January, the villagers unanimously decided that it was not possible to take arms training. On 7th January around 2 thousand villagers out of four thousand populations, gathered before the camp at 8 AM. The villagers and the camp members held discussions they told the leaders of the camp that villagers were not willing to take arms training. After discussion of 15 to 20 minutes the leaders said that they required the consent of the higher party committee in this matter. In the name of consent of higher committee they called the armed forces from the other camp. After few minutes, from south of the village some armed men entered the village and firing started The police force came to the village after 6 hours of the incident. The police gave enough time to the armed force to get away from the place of the incident. Police did not help to the injured person. The villagers hospitalized the injured persons alone. So it proved that the Harmad Bahini and police were jointly beside the incident of 7th January. Good Agricultural Practices (GAP) can refer to any collection of specific methods, which when applied to agriculture, produces results that are in harmony with the values of the proponents of those practices. Good Agricultural Practices are a collection of principles to apply for on-farm production and post-production processes, resulting in safe and healthy food and non-food agricultural products, while taking into account economical, social and environmental sustainability. Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) of the United Nations. Objectives 1. Ensuring safety and quality of produce in the food chain 2. Capturing new market advantages by modifying supply chain governance 3. Improving natural resources use, workers health and working conditions, Creating new market opportunities for farmers and exporters in developing countries. Basics of Good Agricultural Practices GAPs principles can be summarized as follows: clean soil, clean water, clean hands, and clean surfaces... Clean soil involves taking steps to reduce the possibility of introducing microbial contaminants into the soil, particularly via manure and other animal excrements. GAPs address the need to properly compost, apply and store manure. Additionally, the exclusion of domesticated animals from production fields is essential in helping to reduce the possibility of faecal contamination Clean water entails making sure all water used in washing, cooling and processing is of drinkable quality. Packing ice should also be made from drinkable water. Ground and surface water sources need to be protected from runoff and animal contamination. Water used for irrigation and foliar applications also needs to be free of human pathogens. Regular water quality testing may be necessary, particularly for surface water sources. Clean hands applies to workers and the use of good personal hygiene in the field and packing house. Providing washing facilities for customers at U-Pick operations is also an important consideration. Clean surfaces means ensuring that all packing bins, work surfaces, storage areas, and transportation vehicles are properly washed and sanitized on a regular, often daily, basis. Farm equipment should also be routinely cleaned and sanitized.
Indian Farmers Crisis: History and Background

66 per cent of rural laborers in India are dependent on agricultural activity for their income. Exacerbated by two years of drought in 1965 and 1966, the Indian government turned to high yielding, genetically modified, miracle-seeds provided by the World Bank and the United States. These

seeds, coupled with the Indian governments assistance and price incentives, sparked the Green Revolution in India.
Chemicals and Drought produce zero yields in late 1980s

Although these farming methods worked for several years for many farmers, they began to show adverse effects in the late 1980s. The overuse of chemical fertilizers caused the soil to become infertile. This, coupled with a reduction in the genetic variety of crops, and three years of drought led to zero yield. Without crops to sell farmers were unable to pay their debts.
Why is it happening?

15 years of economic reforms have given farmers access to expensive and promising biotechnology. These reforms have not led to crop insurance, land irrigation, or enough bank loans. Reforms opened Indian farmers to global competition, such as with the United States and UK who receive over $18 billion a year in subsidies. For farmers in India such foreign subsidies have driven down the price of crops in the global market, such as cotton. In order to compete, many farmers turned to high-cost seeds, fertilizers and pesticides, believing in easier returns. Modified seeds cost nearly twice as much as ordinary ones, necessitating larger loans. There has been minimal financial support from the government for small farmers. Many small farmers dont qualify for bank credit, forcing farmers to turn to moneylenders, who charge up to 20% interest on a four-month loan. As collateral, farmers often sign away the title to their land. The benefit of Indias 2008 farmer relief package remains to be seen. A crop failure, an unexpected health expense or the marriage of a daughter are perilous to the livelihood of these farmers. Suicide has spread like an epidemic among the distraught farmers. Many farmers have committed suicide by drinking the very pesticides that no longer work on their crops. More than 100,000farmers have taken their lives since 1997. 86.5 percent of farmers who took their own lives were financially indebted. Their average debt was about $835. On average, there has been one farmers suicide every 32 minutes since 2002.
Where is it happening?

Punjab, Haryana, Rajasthan, Karnataka, Kerala, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra. Cotton Farmers are hardest hit by global competition and poor yield
Vidarbha, State of Maharashtra

Home to 3.2 million cotton farmers. Over 200 suicides from July 2005 to February 2006. In this state alone there were almost 2 suicides a day in this eight month period. According to a study by the government of Maharashtra, almost 6 in 10 of those who kill themselves had debts between $110 and $550. Vidarbha is home for approximately 3.4 million cotton farmers and 95% of these are struggling with the massive debt. Most of the villages in Vidarbha are badly in need of basic social infrastructure like all-weather roads, drinking water, regular electricity, primary health care, and basic education. Majority of suicide cases are from cotton growing areas. The cotton farmers in India paying more prices for inputs like seeds, pesticides, fertilizers, electricity, water, and labor whereas the price of cotton has gone down along with decreased productivity. In contrast to this picture in India, US Government is giving USD 4.0 billion to cotton farmers and asking for further liberalization of cotton trade in USA. absence of adequate social support infrastructure at the level of the village and district, Uncertainty of agricultural enterprise in the region, indebtedness of farmers, rising costs of cultivation, plummeting prices of farm commodities, lack of credit availability for small farmers, relative absence of irrigation facilities, repeated crop failures, dependence on rainfall for farming, rural living and easy access to poisons, and lack of political will and insight in the region. In Vidarbha (basically a low rainfall area), the major crop is cotton, jowar (Barley), and pulses and people rely more on dry farming. Irrigated farming is insignificant and seen only in very few pockets where major rivers provide water for the whole year.
What happens to the families after a farmer commits suicide?

Farms are confiscated due to inability to pay back high interest loans. Harassment of the family by corrupt moneylenders. Widows burdened with the new responsibility as the sole breadwinner. Children sometimes lose both parents to suicide. Forcing their education to a halt, especially if they have to work in order to provide for their needs.
Working together to solve the crisis

Social support provides a buffering effect for stress. The greater the support from friends, family, local communities, national policies and society as a whole, the less impact stress will have on individuals and families. It is crucial for governments and NGOs to work together, on a local, national and global level, to address and solve this critical issue
SOCIAL AND ECONOMIC STANDING OF AN INDIAN FARMER

They typical farmer is poor. They are unable to provide more than the very basic needs for their families. Wages are so poor for most farmers, that some resort to the selling of their children to others--often in involuntary servitude (slavery) to brick kilns, rice mills, and embroidery factories, The prices at which crops and fruits are bought from the farmers is very less when compared to the price at which they are sold, during the mango season, Alponso mangoes are bought at rupees 50 for a kilo and are sold at least a 200% profit The relief packages were mostly amalgamations of exiting schemes. Apart from the farmer helpline and the direct financial assistance, there was scarcely anything new being offered. Pumping extra funds into additional schemes shows that no new idea was applied to solve a situation where existing measures had obviously failed. The farmer helpline did not give any substantial help to farmers. The basis for selection of beneficiaries under the assistance scheme was not well-defined. Also, type of assistance to be given led to problems like a farmer needing a pair of bullocks getting a pump set and vice versa (or a farmer who has no access to water sources being given pump sets). Awareness regarding the package was also fairly low.
INDIAN FARMER: The average Indian farm family works 80 hours per week, through 40 or more weeks in the year, and earns about $3,000.00 a year. Most don't even own a tractor. Indian farmer is always in lack. Either he doesnt have money to buy seeds for his crops, or he cannot sustain his crops or he is deep in loan. Indian farmers struggle and strive for a good yield. AMERICAN FARMER: A farmer in the US works very hard (80+ hours per week) during certain key periods (planting, harvesting, etc.) and significantly less hard during most of the year. The average American farm family earns $60,000.00 a year.He has a very comfortable lifestyle. Farming methods are very modern which make farming for him easier and more convenient. MEASURES Dependency of agriculture on nature should be reduced. This can be done by effective implementation of water management techniques by the government. 2. The institutionalized funds should be made available to the maximum farmers. The farmers must be monitored and advised with regard to the utilization of such funds. 3. The farmers should be provided with technical support to enhance the agricultural productivity. 4. The World Trade Organization forced the India to decrease its subsidies whereas the developed nations have been privileged to provide agricultural subsidies to their farmers. India definitely needs to take some diplomatic actions at the world forum to protect its farmers. 5. Organic farming must be encouraged. The government must subsidize organic fertilizers instead of chemical fertilizers. 6. In 1998, World Banks structural adjustment policies forced the government to replace farm saved seeds with corporate seeds. The Indian farmers are forced to buy the high-priced seeds manufactured by the multinationals.

7. Farmers with small land holdings must be encouraged to pursue community farming. 8. The farmers should be provided with direct instead of indirect subsidies. 9. The excessive powers of the money lenders must be checked. 10. There is a need for social and cultural awakening with in the village communities. This may be done by providing elementary education and vocational training to the farmers and their families. GENETIC MODIFICATION

Genetic Engineering (GE) or Genetic Modification (GM) is a new technology which has developed over the last 30 years. GE/GM allows scientists to move genetic material from one species to another in ways which have never before been possible. Genetically modified (GM) foods are foods derived from genetically modified organisms. GM organisms have had specific changes introduced into their DNA by genetic engineering techniques. GM foods were first put on the market in the early 1990s. Genetically modified foods are transgenic plant products: soybean, corn, canola, and cotton seed oil. But animal products have also been developed. Bt Brinjal is a transgenic brinjal created by inserting a BT gene [cry1Ac] from the soil bacterium Bacillus thuringiensis into Brinjal. No significant difference was noted between Bt Brinjal and Non-Bt Brinjal, as per the company which did bio safety tests like acute oral toxicity, germination, weediness and aggressiveness tests, soil micro-biota studies. This will help small and marginal farmers from having to use 25-80 sprays of pesticides which are ineffective, says the company. Company promises that, there would be substantial increase in marketable yields. Higher yields would result in higher incomes for farmers, it is expected. The pricing of the seeds will be based on a costrecovery model, making it affordable for all farmers, Farmers will be able to continue to save and reuse their seed for the hybrids and varieties because of this arrangement.
HEALTH HAZARDS

GM fed animals have problems with growth, organ development and damage, Allergies to BT cotton evident in workers in Madhya Pradesh, BT Corn shows mysterious symptoms, Abnormal cell growth in Mice. Genes inserted in GM food survive digestive processes and get transferred into human body. Amino acids similar to allergen.
ENVIRONMENTAL HAZARDS

No tests were conducted to check for the effect of Bt Brinjal on the crop raised subsequently. Bio safety testing in India does not recognize the need for studying the medium- and long-term impacts of the GM technology In India GM crops has never been assessed thoroughly. As in other parts of the world, the current safety assessments are inadequate to catch most of the harmful effects from GM crops. Environment Minister Jairam Ramesh has halted the project in a dramatic announcement on Feb 9, 2010 Why BT brinjal in India is banned after BT brinjal controversy?
First let us understand the controversy and why people are opposing it? Several studies on BT crops in particular and GM crops in general show that there are many potential health hazards in foods bio-engineered in this manner. GM-fed animals in various studies have shown that there are problems with growth, organ development and damage, immune responsiveness and so on. With BT crops, a recent study from Madhya Pradesh in India shows adverse human health impacts in farm and factory workers with allergies caused by Bt Cotton. Itching skin, eruptions on the body, swollen faces etc., were also reported, correlated with levels of exposure to Bt Cotton.

FACTS ABOUT FAKES When did the fake art business start in India? It has always existed but it began to expand as the Indian art market boomed. Supply was not enough to meet the never-ending demand as speculators

and cash-rich people began to invest in art work just as they would in blue-chip companies. What mattered more than the art was the signature on it. Who are the artists for whom there is maximum demand? The Big Three are M.F. Husain, who lives in self-imposed exile mostly in Dubai, the late Francis Newton Souza and Syed Haider Raza, who lives in Paris. Is there any demand for Bengal artists? There is a demand for old masters such as Jamini Roy and Nandalal and the Tagores. Rabindranath became hot property after 12 paintings raised a total of 1.6 million (about Rs 12.8 crore, with one work selling for about Rs 3 crore) in a Sothebys auction in London last June Who are the people involved in this scam? Apart from dealers and their go-betweens, there are failed artists, who are skilled but are not good enough, art college students, and most importantly, photographers who have access to original works or high resolution, unedited images of art works. Dealers are spread all over the country and they have a network that includes staff of galleries or auction houses and someone well-known in the art circuit. Contacts are made through them. Which areas of Calcutta do dealers operate from? There are dealers in Alipore, Park Circus, Kidderpore, Baranagar, Mullickbazaar, Russell Street, Cossipore and Ballygunge station. The artists, who get a paltry sum, themselves could be from the districts or just about anywhere. Who are the victims of these scamsters? Anybody from ordinary buyers innocent of art to auction houses and museums here and abroad. Are there any safeguards against buying fakes? When people buy an Rs 50 lakh flat they find out who its previous owners were. They should do the same when they buy an Rs 50 lakh art work. You have to find out the provenance of a painting in detail. If you dont know the provenance in detail, just drop it. If you buy a work from a reputed gallery that is guarantee enough of its authenticity. In India the fakes are very bad. What do auction houses do to spot fakes? At Sothebys we work as hard as possible to verify the provenance provided for Bengal School works, use our own judgment and experience to arrive at a decision about the works and consult noted experts and scholars for their opinion about these works before including them in our sales. How does one authenticate art work? There is no institute in India where this can be done. The quality of paper and acidity can be simulated. Experts have to check if there are stylistic differences between the original and the work under scrutiny. At the Sri Ram Institute for Industrial Research in Delhi and government forensic laboratories one can get paper checked but one has to provide specific parameters. Is there a law against such fraud? When it comes to copying a work of art or literature, the Copyright Act would be the first tool to be used to counter such copying. The term of copyright with respect to all works of Tagore has expired in 2001 and all his works are out of copyright protection. This allows others to copy his works without any consent from the authors successors/assigns may result in criminal action. M.F. Husain: Rs 25 lakh to Rs 2 crore. Francis Newton Souza: Rs 15 lakh to Rs 1.5 crore. S.H. Raza: Rs 20 lakh to Rs 2.5 crore. Rabindranath Tagore (under National Treasure Act 1972): Rs 25 lakh to Rs 50 lakh Price of fakes: All depends on size of work; comes for half the market price. Hard bargaining can slash prices even further. Fake art, after all, is zero value. So, if the counterfeit Tagores being exhibited at the Government College of Art & Craft were legitimized, the ciphers would have fetched a few cool crore.

MAIN The thriving cottage industry in churning out fake paintings has invaded the Government College of Art & Craft, where an exhibition of paintings purported to be by Rabindranath Tagore has been categorically branded fake by experts. The institute, founded in 1854, was presenting a Show of Rabindranath Tagores paintings from February 27 to March 8, as part of his 150th anniversary celebrations. Governor M.K. Narayanan inaugurated the exhibition on Sunday morning. Veteran art critic Pranabranjan Roy, who also authenticates art work, rang the alarm bell on Monday morning, when he pointed out that the paintings on display at the Government Art College were all counterfeit. It is widely known that Rabindranath Tagore took up painting at an advanced age he was already 60 and although he is deified as a poet, people in this part of the world are still uncertain about his genius as an artist. Tagore held his first major exhibition 262 works in India in 1932 at the Government School of Art (later the Government College of Art and Craft) from February 20 to 29. Tagore had first shown his works at Kala Bhavan in Santiniketan on October 10, 1928, and earlier that year, he had stayed at the art institution between August 8 and 31 and done some paintings Twenty-one of Tagores paintings will be displayed, three of which are from the collection of the Indian Museum. The rest are from the collection of Rani Mahalanobis. The college has received Rs 20 lakh from the Bengal government to spruce up the exhibition space and has brought out a facsimile of the 1932 catalogue. The poets Dark Ladies with their mysterious smile, flowers and landscapes are still luminous, the reds, greens, blue and browns of various shades highlighted by ochre and hasty strokes of the pen. Among the contemporary artists, whose works will be displayed, are Jogen Choudhury, Ganesh Haloi, Ganesh Pyne and Jamini Roy. Perhaps it will clear the misgivings in the public mind about his paintings. The exhibition is on till March 8.

Canvas homage to Mother

Mother Teresas birth centenary is being celebrated in the Victoria Memorial Hall, and the Portrait Gallery on the ground floor is hung up with paintings of M.F. Husain and Sunita Kumar. Both artists were close to the Albanian nun, who had in 1950 founded the Missionaries of Charity in Calcutta, where the sick, dying and the destitute discovered bliss, even if it was only before they breathed their last. The artist called up Kumar and suggested that they hold an exhibition together titled the twenty 20 Paintings, referring to the number of works each participant would display. The governor, M.K. Narayanan, will inaugurate the exhibition on Monday evening and Sister Nirmala of the Missionaries of Charity will be the chief guest. Significantly, neither Husain nor Sunita Kumar has depicted Mother Teresas face, although she is easily identifiable by her sari with the blue border. All you need is love. EVENT INFORMATION ON FRI 18 FEB, 2011 The Telegraph National Debate, presented by Ballantine's. The battle lines are drawn. And the argumentative Indians are ready for the ultimate face-off - The Telegraph National Debate. The motion: 'In the opinion of the house, India will be better run if politicians are left out of the government.' This year's panel pits a chief minister-in-waiting (Mamta Banerjee) against a former cricket captain (Rahul Dravid), an economist who writes on cricket (Ramachandra Guha) against a lawyer who chose to argue in Parliament (Salman Khurshid), an actor who had dabbled in politics (Victor Banerjee) against a journalist who might have been a politician (Swapan Dasgupta), and an academician who has authored a tome on political sociology (Dipankar Gupta) against an MIT graduate who quit the boardroom for politics (Jay Panda).