My post is Bengal specific as the news of confiscation of a substantial sum allegedly from the car of Bharati Ghosh IPS (Retd.), and a BJP nominee from Keshpur flows in. I’m not hesitant in expressing my anger and anguish over the ruling dispensation headed by the TMC Supremo, Mamata Banerjee in destroying the hope of West Bengal, after the seven years of her reign, dislodging 34 years of left rule.
The Nandigram firing by the government and later the land acquisition of land for Tata Motors at Singur, which did in the Left government were effectively exploited by Mamata, who survived a 26-day-hunger strike.
What happened in the seven years of TMC rule has one of disappointment and distress. Bengal, which has led the freedom struggle from the front, which has been the intellectual and cultural capital of India has been reduced to a state of recalcitrant extremists. The thinkers and the intellectuals, who dared the left, taking out a procession condemning the firing on rural people in Nandigram by the then Left government are staying put indoors, fearing reprisals by the TMC goons.
True, if the leftists were unsparing and silenced every opposing voice, the present times have become worse. Either you support or else.. is the disdain. The state has turned out many dollar millionaires, but all of them are leaders or supporters of the party. The industrial scenario is, and the touted figures by the leaders are incredibly bogus.
Bordering Bangladesh, and with many refugees, you may call them infiltrators, have changed the profile of Bengal. The left nurtured them, but the TMC went out of the way to create a divide of unthinkable proportion, merely to consolidate and hold on to the minority as a vote bank like never before. I guess CM Mamata erred in overtly leaning towards the minorities, giving scope for the BJP to exploit the trend with a loud chant of ‘Jai Shri Ram’ to woo the non-Muslims.
The state stands deeply wedged between the majority Hindus and the minority Muslims, the later making 34 per cent of the population. The brooding left is silently supporting the BJP in their avowed theory, ‘an enemy’s enemy is a friend.’ There is no doubt in BJP’s eating into Didi’s territory, but with what replacement? That’s the worry!
BJP tried a passive leadership with Rahul Sinha, who I think was way better Dilip Ghosh, the President of State BJP, who does not the least exhibit any respectability. He was chosen as a more militant face, who can take an eye for an eye and so are many of BJP’s new members, starting from Mukul Roy, and Shanku Panda, alleged scam offenders, Arjun Singh, a feared gangster and Bharati Ghosh, a former police officer, and involved in many cases. If Bengalis were upset with the syndicate raj, the extortions and the bad governance of Mamata, BJP with their present organisation might never be the right alternative either.
The antagonistic stand of the state against the Centre has been in continuity for the last 41 years and could be for another few years too. It is not chivalrous, but damaging the fibre of hope of many youths, who have to seek their pastures in various other parts of India.
For the diehard supporters of a status quo, I must humbly state that the growth is not merely painting the kerbs in blue and white and goes far beyond that. The greatness of Bengal has been ruptured beyond salvage anytime soon!
Sampath Kumar
Intrépide Voix
