West Bengal once defined India's intellectual and cultural compass. Earlier, when Calcutta was the capital of British India, it was also the nerve centre of commerce and industry. Over the last 5-6 decades, that narrative has slipped. While other states embraced industrialisation, infrastructure and investment, Bengal gradually ceded its position.
One of the most significant reasons for this was the erosion of industrial confidence. After the Left Front came to power in 1977, Bengal saw a decisive shift in its political and economic orientation. Land reforms brought social change and rural empowerment. But the industrial climate grew strained. Militant trade unionism, frequent strikes and an adversarial stance towards private enterprise created deep investment uncertainty. Factories that once symbolised Bengal's economic might began to shut down or relocate. Investors, wary of disruption, chose more stable destinations. Over time, this created a perception that proved difficult to reverse, even as policies evolved.
