Kolkata, Jun 2 (PTI) Bengal’s renaissance has not only been driven by art and culture but also by the entrepreneurial spirit of Bengalis, economist Sanjeev Sanyal said on Sunday.
Sanyal, a member of the Prime Minister’s Economic Advisory Council, was speaking at an event organised by the Bengal Business Council.
“Bengal has a history of entrepreneurship and risk-taking. The history of Bengal is one of trade and enterprise. Bengal is a riverine state and its two historic ports are Chandraketugarh near Barrackpore and Tamlalipta in present-day Tamluk,” he said.
“Many Bengalis like Chand Saudagar were involved in maritime trade and the Seth and Basak families were big merchants,” he added.
Sanyal said over time the waterway became silted up but trade did not stop.
He said Raja Rammohan Roy was a money lender, Dwarkanath Tagore was into indigo trade and pioneered coal mining, while Rani Rashmoni, who funded the Dakshineswar temple and provided the land on which Eden Garden was built, was a businessman.
During the partition of Bengal in 1905, many companies like Calcutta Chemicals, Lakshmi Tea and Mohini Mills were set up, he said.
“Ace swimmer Mihir Sen also set up a garment factory and it has become very successful,” Sanyal said.
“The only thing that needs to happen is for Bengalis to change their perception that business does not run in their blood,” he said.
Sanyal alleged that trade unionism had destroyed businesses in West Bengal during the Left Alliance government and said policies were needed to revive the entrepreneurial spirit of Bengalis.
