Modi’s brigade!

The brigade parade grounds, venue for the Prime Minister Modi’s BJP rally, wore a festive look from the early hours of the day. The place was swarming with security personnel even before the early morning mist had cleared. All roads and rail routes leading to Kolkata were a sea of people converging on the maidan.

Enthusiasm was high, a renewed hope written on their faces. Some were dressed in popular characters like Charlie Chaplin, Bengal intellectuals, and well-known Bengali comic characters. I could spot one as Hanuman, the Hindu monkey-God replete with a mace and long tail. Body painters were available at the venue, patiently obliging diehards with the face of Modi on their bare chests with colourful paints. A few had Gods like Krishna or Rama painted on them as well.

The supporters were disciplined. Hot tea and snacks were on the house by kind anonymous sponsors. The dais was large and could accommodate a hundred if not more. The local leaders arrived early, not to miss a seat at the dais directly where Modi could see them. The centre of attraction was Mithun Chakravorty, the superstar of yesteryears. He had aged gracefully and became a member of the BJP. In his acceptance speech, he regaled the audience with some snippets from his film dialogues. The crowd lapped up all with glee.

The crowd was ecstatic as they saw Modi’s chopper hovering above to land at the racecourse. The roar ‘Bharat Mata ki jai’ was a distant second to the chants of ‘Modi, Modi’ that reverberated the area. Effortlessly Modi took over and addressed the crowd for a little over one hour, thrashing Mamata and her government. He took a dig at Mamata’s attempt to drive a scooter recently, perilously leaning as only the F1 bikers would do. Modi explained what he intends to do after his party’s win and government formation in Bengal. He summarized that the deprivation of Bengal by the left, Congress combine, and the TMC would end.

Modi’s meeting has given a fillip to the BJP as I hear a dozen names from the TMC planning to switch their loyalties in the next one or two weeks.

It is easy to make out for, and against TV channels from the angle, they place their cameras to show the crowds in any rally. Some hover high and pick the lean spots, and some shoot from lower angles, showing a fuller and sea-of-people. However, the traffic cops are reliable statisticians and estimated six lacs in the Modi rally today. Hundreds of crowded buses lay stranded at various points, and denied entry is wholly another story.

On the other extreme of the State, Mamata led a protest march in Siliguri against the price rise of fuel and domestic gas. The jostling of the women to stay close to Didi could not be missed. The last co-walker Debashree Roy was missing this time. 

Mamata took on Modi and Shah in her characteristic style, calling the PM the biggest ‘tolabaaz,’ extortionist, in the country. I hope she remembers that even if BJP loses the Bengal Assembly elections, Mamata will have to put up with Prime Minister Modi until 2026. Unless, of course, the Delhi prime minister dream does not start twitching Didi once again.

Sampath Kumar

Intrépide Voix