More so because it is a well-known secret that business and industry houses all over the world resort to bribing politicians by various means including political donations. Political donations are used as an instrument to buy the support of politicians and their parties to evade prosecution for their violations of laws of the land and for wealth creation at the cost of peoples' interest.

Mamata has returned the cheque to the Tata's saying, “The election is over. What will I do with the money now?”

Had then she asked for money before elections? Had the Tata's refused them to give any money thinking that she and her party may not have much political gain against the ruling Left front in West Bengal? And now have they realized their folly of not giving any financial help to Mamata and her Trinamool Congress, especially when her party won 19 Lok Sabha parliamentary constituencies out of 42 in the state, and she ultimately became the Union Minister for Railways?

What are then stakes of Tata's in Mamata and her party? The answer to this question is known. She had been leading a fierce people's agitation against Tata's at Singur near Kolkata last year where many people lost their lives and property. Tata's eventually decided to relocate the Nono factory in Gujarat and Trinamool Congress won the Hooghly constituency where Singur is located.

Shifting the proposed Nano project from West Bengal to Gujarat does not mean that Tata's interests are now well-protected. It is simply because they need railways's help, which is now headed by Mamata, in transporting their goods to and from Tata's factories and various other mines. Perhaps, out of fear, Tata's offered this political donation of almost 28 lakh rupees so that her stance may be somewhat softened against Tata's.

The relationship between Tata's and Mamata is now a matter of observation by people to understand what exactly is going between them.

The people's agitation, which Mamata led at Singur, was on the ground that Left led West Bengal government had forcibly acquired 1000 acres of agricultural land and handed over to Tatas on lease. Left leaders tried their best to portrait Mamata as “anti-industry”, however, people voted for her and her party rejecting the Left approach setting at rest the bitter episode which fuelled a big political controversy.

Tata's offer of political donation to Mamata, however, has an impact on Mamata. She has said that she is neither anti-Tata nor anti-industry. They are welcome to build an automobile factory at Singur, she said, but they have to set up the factory on 600 acres of land and the rest 400 acres will have to be returned to those farmers who don't want to part with their land. The Left front government of West Bengal has, however, refused to return the land to the farmers.

Mamata has commented on the Tata's gesture and said that Tatas never offered us such donations earlier in elections.

What made the Tata's decide to donate her party this time? A real answer would be only a speculation about their intentions. However, Tata's official version said that the money is given by the Tata Electoral Trust on the basis of certain well-laid principles to the parties that meets those criteria.

The letter sent to Mamata along with the cheque mentioned that “based on the performance” of the Trinamool Congress, it had decided to donate Rs 27,70,660 to her party. The letter also stated that similar donations had been given to other political parties.

The circumstances in which the donation is offered smacks foul play. Such donations to the public servants and politicians must be scrutinized keeping in mind the pragmatics behind it and the principles of anti-corruption.

The time has come that we establish well defined norms of political donations to step forward toward much desired and long cherished political/ electoral reform in India which has lately become too costly to bear by majority of the people of this country resulting in walk-over to the rich who distribute power among themselves without sharing it with the common people. Where should the common people go if there is a nexus between politicians and capitalists.#