Protests stall production of the Nano

India’s Tata Motors has halted operations in producing the Nano, the world’s cheapest car, after the Trinamool Congress of the main opposition party in West Bengal state demanded it return the land where the plant is located to farmers. The project called the one-lakh car (US$2,150) faced several roadblocks as angry farmers blockaded the site at Singur near the state’s capital Kolkata. State Governor Gopal Gandhi attempted to intervene, but Trinamool continued its protest. It had set up 21 protest points along the approaches to the plant, making it impossible for workers and executives to enter the US$500 million factory. Tata, which was being wooed by several other states to relocate its plant to their territory, has decided to move production to Gujarat state. The trouble began after the government took over 1,000 acres (400 hectares) of farmland for the factory. The government offered compensation, but some farmers with smaller land holdings said the price was inadequate and demanded that their land to be returned to them. (September 2/4, 2008)