Tata Motors Fights Indian Government on Land Grab

     At the High Court in Kolkata, India, lawyers for Tata Motors contested a new law that allows the government to cancel its lease for a large plot of land that was to be used to produce the world's cheapest car.

    The land in Singur was acquired from farmers by West Bengal's former communist government in 2006.  It was part of a push to industrialize the state.

    But farmers bitterly opposed the project, many refused to accept compensation for their land, saying it was too little.  As their protests turned violent Tata moved the project to another state, although the factory had already been built.

    On the forefront of the protests was a fiery¹ political leader, Mamata Banerjee.  Last month, she became the state's chief minister after defeating the communists in state elections.  Her campaign pledges included a promise to return the Singur land to farmers.

    Earlier this month, Banerjee's government passed a law allowing it to reclaim² 400 acres of land, given to Tata, for which farmers had never accepted compensation.   Tata Motors challenged the law, but has not elaborated.

    Economist D.H. Pai Panandiker heads the independent research group RPG Goenka Foundation.  He says it is important to the industry that commitments are kept.

    "If one government enters into a contract, gives it to a business enterprise and now a new government comes and disturbs that contract altogether... in a democracy one government cannot undo³ what a previous government had done.  Contracts are sanctimonious," noted⁴ Panandiker.

    In India, Singur has become a symbol of rising conflicts over land as farmers resist giving up their land for industrial, mining and infrastructure⁵ projects.

    In the eastern Orissa state, thousands of villagers have been protesting the state government's efforts to acquire land for India's largest foreign investment project - a $12 billion steel plant to be built by South Korea's Posco.  This month, women and children were among those who formed a human ring to prevent government officials from taking over the land.  The protests have prompted the government to put its acquisition drive on hold.

    Economists say foreign investors⁶ are being deterred⁷ by such protests.

    Meanwhile, the Indian government is under growing pressure to balance the interests of industry and farmers through new legislation that tries to ensure farmers get fair compensation for their land and guarantees of an alternate livelihood⁸.（本文由在线英语听力室整理编辑）

1 fiery   

adj.燃烧着的，火红的；暴躁的；激烈的

参考例句：

• She has fiery red hair.她有一头火红的头发。
• His fiery speech agitated the crowd.他热情洋溢的讲话激动了群众。

2 reclaim   

v.要求归还，收回；开垦

参考例句：

• I have tried to reclaim my money without success.我没能把钱取回来。
• You must present this ticket when you reclaim your luggage.当你要取回行李时，必须出示这张票子。

3 undo   

vt.解开，松开；取消，撤销

参考例句：

• His pride will undo him some day.他的傲慢总有一天会毁了他。
• I managed secretly to undo a corner of the parcel.我悄悄地设法解开了包裹的一角。

4 noted   

adj.著名的，知名的

参考例句：

• The local hotel is noted for its good table.当地的那家酒店以餐食精美而著称。
• Jim is noted for arriving late for work.吉姆上班迟到出了名。

5 infrastructure   

n.下部构造，下部组织，基础结构，基础设施

参考例句：

• We should step up the development of infrastructure for research.加强科学基础设施建设。
• We should strengthen cultural infrastructure and boost various types of popular culture.加强文化基础设施建设，发展各类群众文化。

6 investors   

n.投资者，出资者( investor的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• a con man who bilked investors out of millions of dollars 诈取投资者几百万元的骗子
• a cash bonanza for investors 投资者的赚钱机会

7 deterred   

v.阻止，制止( deter的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• I told him I wasn't interested, but he wasn't deterred. 我已告诉他我不感兴趣，可他却不罢休。
• Jeremy was not deterred by this criticism. 杰里米没有因这一批评而却步。 来自辞典例句

8 livelihood   

n.生计，谋生之道

参考例句：

• Appropriate arrangements will be made for their work and livelihood.他们的工作和生活会得到妥善安排。
• My father gained a bare livelihood of family by his own hands.父亲靠自己的双手勉强维持家计。