I am not a fan of Mamata Banerjee’s rhetorical politics nor do I believe that BJP cant gain in West Bengal. The problem in India is that everything is between the parties and the real issues somewhere are left because those who are sitting on our discussion tables too dont want certain things to come out. When institutions have failed and left with no credibility then how do you fight. There was a huge scam but then if we are fighting against corruption on selective targeting of the opposition leaders then it will not work.
Narendra Modi and Amit Shah are the fountainhead of corruption. Everybody know how the crony capitalism has grown over the years. Anil Ambani’s company has already applied for insolvency and who will pay for it ? The banks who took his guarantee. Today, politicians have converted corruption into non issues so that people dont speak on them and accept it as part of the culture. Selective targeting of political opponents has been the biggest tool of this government to win electoral battles.
Now, we know that the Sharda and Narada chit fund scam case is before the Supreme Court and nothing moved. Why is this issue being raised today when the elections are round the corner. What prohibits CBI from following the procedure. Was it a well executed drama which suits both Mamata and BJP well. Mamata, because, she will want BJP to be her main opponent despite the fact that they are nowhere in picture. In her zeal to eliminate the left forces, Mamata did everything the same as the left had done. But left continue to be on decline in the state. I am not impressed with rallies of any one because these are programmed rallies which are always meant as show of strength. When you are in power, you can mobilise anything. I am sure, Ms Mayawati, Lalu Yadav, Chandra Babu Naidu, left parties, DMK, all can organise massive rallies of their supporters. It is good show of strength but nothing beyond.
Now, CBI’s Kolkata office has shown its incompetence several times. It was sending notices to Police commissioner to appear on November 12th on November 30th. It is like what used to happen in olden days when the university registrar office will pack all the letters to be sent to applicants or invitees for a particular date but the postal staff actually post it after the event to deny certain persons to be there. This is a typical Indian practice and show how corruption has gone deep inside us. Kolkata High Court’s single judge bench has put a hold on arrest of the police commissioner till a certain date.
West Bengal government has already withdrawn its consent to CBI which means for any action CBI has to take permission from the state. But it was not done. How can 40 officials of an organisation land up at the office of the Police commissioner but then it look like a model of famous ‘James Bond’ of the ruling establishment who is supposed to take care of our security but is more engaged in petty politics to get the opposition leaders trapped in the cases. This is shameful to say the least. Obviously, in the bhaktmandali, the James Bond is supercop who cant do anything wrong. They want to replicate what they did in the midnight at the CBI headquarter in Delhi when they removed A K Verma and send the Delhi Police to surround the CBI headquarter. If this is the modus-operendi then I am sure, we are now entering into a dangerous war zone of center state relations.
Narendra Modi Amit Shah-BJP-RSS have actually come from one background that once you accumulate all power then all your wrongs become right. They feel that world goes through narratives and hence they have their c-grade script writers who are unable to counter their opponents politically and hence doing all kind of intimidating tactics and legitimising it with their paid trolls in the television studios who we call ‘newsrooms’. These newsrooms are nothing but Sangh Parivar trolls cooking up stories to defame the opponents of the ruling establishment.
What is happening in Bengal is a clever and well calculated ploy to put the entire state on fire. I do not see that the stock of Ms Banerjee would grow up. People talk about Bengal and the culture of politicisation but I can say that there is no politics in Bengal. Political violence in Bengal actually has left Uttar Pradesh and Bihar far behind. The ruling establishment in Bengal is actually the Bengali brahmanical bhadralok which has denied justice both socially and politically to vast Dalit Muslims segment of the state. We all know if the Dalit-Muslims-Adivasis-OBCs join hand in Bengal, they can overthrow the entire structure. Unfortunately, neither left, nor Mamata or Congress have done that.
Bengal’s politics has another important point. Most of those ruling castes were ‘revolutionary’ when CPM and left forces dominated the state. As the resentment grew against left, these ‘revolutionaries’ jumped Mamata’s ship and abusing the left now. Right now, Mamata is in power and expected to do well, hence they still are with her but once they smell the decline in Mamta’s popularity or fortunes, they will shift and this time as ‘reactionaries’. All the time, the efforts of the Bengal’s established political forces is to deny the Dalit Muslims-OBCs a united front. Whenever there will be an opportunity, these forces leave one ship and jump the others.
There is no debate on ideological differences except the attempt to show ‘knowledge’ and denigrate those who differ. All those who used to do ‘management’ for the left in the past are with Mamata now and may be with BJP or Hindutva five to ten years later. It depends on the political temperature in Delhi and how it suits the Bhadralok.
Mamata Banerjee might gain some brownie point at the moment and project her as a ‘street’ leader but the problem in Bengal is much serious. She has not made any sincere effort to fight against Hindutva and RSS politically. The more you try to stop them from the campaign, the bigger will be their impact. Tripura and Assam have not gone to Hindutva simply but shifting of the Bengali upper castes in these states along with others who are leaders of the Hindutva party today.
The biggest threat to India today is the dominance of the dominants who want to maintain their hegemony at all cost and are ready to put the country on turmoil for the sake of it. Bengal will gain if the historically denied communities there get access to power but now Hindutva has attempted to divide them through the citizenship bill, there is a risk that political violence might grow and Hindutva party is looking for that to increase its tally. The failure of left and Mamata will ultimately give space to the Hindutva party who will use this contradictions of caste for their own purposes.
Technically, BJP’s this term has resulted in erosion of all democratic values and institutions but at the same point of time, it sets a wrong precedence for a officer in job, the police commissioner to sit in on a dharna along with the chief minister. It is time we understand the crisis which is longer and political leaderships of the day whether Modi or others have no vision. What will happen when whatsapp become our ‘source’ of ‘research’ and information, the result is bound to be not more than political groupings which wont help in long term. Bengal and north east are sitting on the time bomb of political violence and it need serious thoughts and action so that violence does not go beyond control which will be threatening for the integrity and unity of India. Mamata should focus on fighting with the BJP and Hindutva politically and centre should desist from attempting to dismiss the government under any pretext because it would be seriously create a violent atmosphere which can go out of hand detrimental for all.
– Vidya Bhushan Rawat
