Didi’s partymen have done great damage, which is deeper than what is visible or admitted. They may have come to this conclusion because they were led by your then-cabinet colleague and the General Secretary of your party, who himself had gotten a questionable doctorate. He allegedly led an army of party cadres and touts who reached out to the gullible for getting jobs in the government in an arid, jobless desert of West Bengal. Many job aspirants sold their properties, pawned their possessions, and bribed heftily to become eligible for teacher’s jobs. Many ineligible teachers who bribed had scored a zero and lacked any knowledge for the teaching profession but were still expected to mould the academic careers of youths.
The crime would have gone undetected but for the protests of those eligible candidates who scored high and were meritorious. Their place was stolen by the partymen to favour the bribe givers, numbering in the thousands. The school system is the biggest job provider in the state, which is devoid of big industries and new investments. Justice Abhijit Gangopadhyay of the Calcutta High Court became a crusader against corruption rampant in the state.
The state was shocked and amazed when huge amounts of cash in large bills were found at a friend of the education minister. As a result, the ED went hyper and increased its searches and arrests. Now new names are emerging every day, and crores in cash and investments are being unearthed. The latest is a youth leader from Hooghly, who has properties allegedly valued at Rs. 350 crore.
For the opposition, it seems like a God-given opportunity, though Mamata has deflected every charge against her. If the former minister, Partha Chatterjee, was feigning ignorance and blaming Arpita, his accomplice, then Arpita was blaming Partha. Most of those arrested or brought for questioning have resorted to denials, until irrefutable evidence was thrown in their faces. If the opposition is to be believed, a dozen small-time Tollywood actors may be small channels for the dirty money, which is said to be worth thousands of crores.
West Bengal Panchayat elections are around the corner. Those who were on the merit lists and denied jobs are protesting and fasting. The High Court, after giving adequate opportunity for those illegally appointed to resign gracefully, has ordered their termination, including the return of their salaries. There is a second group of protesters who have been recruited through the back door and who have taken to protesting. All in all, it is a ‘devil or the deep sea’ situation for the state.
If it is true that the CM of West Bengal was not aware of the murky goings in the recruitment, she must now call the shots and suspend or even sack a few of her partymen. Most of those who have been arrested have refused to help investigators because they believe that they will be bailed out by the state, as it has done in many other cases.
It cannot be a comforting thought for Didi and her leaders that the arrested will turn approvers and spill the beans, which likely could happen.
Sampath Kumar
Intrépide Voix
