The drama of the no-confidence motion in the Lok Sabha over, I turned over to check the affairs in West Bengal. The rains have made the city soggy and traffic movement haywire. It has not dampened the spirit of nearly five million diehard cadres of Trinamul Congress, who have arrived, a few even camping for the last two days in the city. Community kitchens spread over many points in the city are busy dishing out thousands of plates of rice, lentils, vegetables and fish topped with a Rosogolla or a Sandesh. There is an air of jubilation all around like one sees during the Durga Pujas.
People have come from all the 23 districts of the West Bengal, the state machinery leaving no stone unturned to ensure their transport, food and lodging, all free. Many of the supporters, weather permitting, could be seen in the zoological gardens and the maidan, though that hardly matters as the venue itself can never accommodate even a third of the arriving supporters.
What is all the brouhaha about? It is July the 21st and the 25th anniversary of the Martyr’s day. It was in 1993, the then Left Front government led police opened fire killing 13 Youth Congress supporters. The incidence created a national furore and the state Indian National Congress remembered the dead as the Martyrs’ day. You read me right, from the INC! Mamata then was a fiery youth leader of the Congress and successfully took away the Martyr’s anniversary after snapping her ties with Congress and forming Trinamul Congress in 1998. The event ever since has been deftly used by Didi to highlight, showcase her achievements, display defected leaders to the roar of her supporters and of course, to take a dig at her political opponents. This time too, the two times Rajya Sabha MP Chandan Mitra, former CPM MP Moinul Hasan, Congress’ Sabina Yasmin and Mizoram advocate-general Biswajit Deb embraced Trinamul Congress.
One thing cannot be missed though, supporters of Mamata are her strength, and they come at her every call, paralysing the city. Each time they are as eager to have a glimpse of her charismatic leader, like a life’s dream fulfilled and today was no different. She took on BJP, the partisan central government and in particular Modi. At each of her wave of a hand the crowds roared, at each of her shrill, the crowds raucously shouted together, at each of her gesture they reciprocated. Taking a cue of a possible need to don a national hat in the future, she addressed in Bengali and Hindi, and I must admit her Hindi has substantially improved over the years, though not enough to take on the tongue twisters of the Saffron belt of the North. She was like the Modi of 2014, though the PM seems to have lost much of his magic now.
Mamata’s brand of politics, some calling it minority appeasement, has worked splendidly well. There are strong grassroots connect, and a large section of poor seem to identify well with her. It will be interesting to watch her from now and to the run-up of the 2019 elections, where she has sworn to dislodge BJP and Modi. Can she?
Martyrs? Their memories can wait!
Sampath Kumar
Intrépide voix
