Facing The Writing on The Bengal Wall

Facebook Post: Apri 21, 2012

A former colleague, now an American citizen, today forwarded an interesting open leterr, a relastively long one and very well composed by Some Joshi, claiming to bea Bengali resident in Kolkata adressed to Mamata Banerjee. I thought I can now imagine this slightly differently. Let us assume Mamata has granted this person an appointment. How would their conversation go:


SJ: I am a politically independent person but I loved your winning in 2011, beating the corrupt, oppressive, inefficient, non- performing CPM hands down. I wanted you to clean up dolotantra, clean up the police and restore domcracy for the people. Didi, I never wanted to say anything against you. But sorry, I have to say things against you now.

Didi: So, say what you want to say against me . I am not going to cause you any harm . You appear to be a honest individual, unlike those sections of the media who are busy 24 hours criticising and abusing me with false information and suppressing fact.

SJ: Instead of changing the way in West Bengal, you are doing the same thing as the CPM did for 34 years. People are, as a result, suffering from the same things- dolotantra, police connivance to opress the common man and your detractors. In addition, you are making laughable comments on incidents like rape, beating up of journalists by your partymen, on making Kolkata as London. On top of that you are showing up yor fascists intolerance: your people beat up an innocent professor for forwarding an innocent cartoon on you to his friends and your police puts him in lock up for a night, your police picks up an internationally reputed Bengali scientist for being near the organisers of protests against your attempt to evict poor people occupying sone one elses land, you have banned the widely circulated newspapers and politically sponsored newspapers from being subscribed by State-funded public libraries, you say you are planning to decide to bancertain newsape from hoshold subscriptio and ban viewing of some channels projecting the Truth about your actions and performance.

Didi: I get your point. You have made a neat summarry of what the opposition and a section of the Press, representing certain vested interests whose illgimate ways of doing business has now been stopped with our actions. I understand that they would like to find one pretest or another to malign me. But tell me, how many library readers are now required to purchase AnandaBazar since libraries havestopped subscribing to them?

SJ: Say, 2500x20 readers or 50,000 readers. That would be equivalent 0.5% of voters. Yes, it is insignicant. But the question is one of the principle of  minority right to subsidised newspaper reading of their choice. You have violated the JanaGanoTantrik Principle.

Didi: OK. Tell me how many internationally reputed scientist has been arrested so far?
SJ: One only. But you have threatened the entire class of scientists in Bengal. You have again violated the JanaGanaTantrik principle, besides causing a great damage to India's image internationally.

Didi: OK. How many Cartoonists have been arrested?
SJ: Madam, no cartoonist has been arrested. But a single specialist  internet circulator of cartoons has been arranged because the cartoon depicts you in great humour. But the number is not important. It is the principle of janaganatrantik democracy that youhave violated, thereby threatening all creative persons and their followers in Bengal.

Didi. I understand. Dushter chaler obhab hoi na. Fine, but I have done so many other things as well. For example, peace in Darjeeling and Hill Areas, contained the Maoist violence, reprganised police administartion, shaken the govt. officers and employees to stop shirking and delays, taken so many projects for development of different areas of the State, ensured supply of subsidised ration to poor people, distributed so many krishak cards, and so on and so  forth

SJ: Yes Didi, you have done all this. But these are just to get publicity for your self. The benefits to the others are purely incidental. You may have taken quick decisions, but your quickness looks like arbitrainess, impulsive and you are frequently changing decisions.

Didi: If I did any mistake, I must correct it as soon possible. What is wrong?

SJ: You are rushing and pushing people too much into work. That is a kind of oppression. Your policies are anti taxi and auto rickshaw drivers. You are creating chaos in city transport.

Didi: Ok. What other complaints do you have against me?

SJ: I am afraid: you may put me in jail for speaking against me?

Didi: OK I promise you I will not get you arrested just for speaking out to me. How many such arrests have you seen so far? 10 or 98 or 251 or 999 or seven thousand or three lakhs? Indian Constitution is protecting you. You have recourse to the Court for redressal if I arrest you. Don't get afraid because false propogands. Tell me. Speak up.

SJ: By effectively stopping the Government of India from undertaking reforms in Railway Passanger Tariff to save the Railways going the Air India way, stopping reforms in multi-branding retail where foreign investments would have increased India's conomic growh, and stopping the great water sharing agreement with neighbour Bangladesh and stopping Chidabaram from getting the National Internal Security strong enough. The Bengalis are becoming a luaghing stock among Indians as a result. God knows at this rate what you great harm ou would do to Bengal and India in the ext four years of your tenure. I thereforeb appeal to you to resign immediately. God shall bless you.'

Didi: . Why do you ask me to resign? Just remove me.

SJ: Of course, we cannot get you out of power unless there is an election, we cannot show how unpopular you are now and defeat you.

Didi. How do you gain by removing me?
SJ: Since you are not going to be able to deliver the change we desired, we want to allow the people to correct their mistakes and restore status quo ante: they will get back CPM.

Didi. Why you want CPM back, you critised them and said you were happy that I defeated them a year back? So, you prefer to be oppresed by CPM?

SJ: Yes, we prefer CPM oppression for three reasons. First, you are all in all - The Chief Minister, the Party Chairperson and there is no second popular person around you. Since this smacks of Hitler, we want you to go for better international relations for the Bengal intellegentsia; otherwise, the international intelligentsia will look down upon our intellegentsia. Our prestige is at stake. Second, a known, well-established devil is better than an unpredictable devil? No one is able to understand or forecast your behaviour. Third, despite your University Masters deegree in Islamic history, your paintings,  recital of Tagore and Nazrul poetry, the Intelligentsia still does not consder you as presentable as the Bhadralok or Bhadra Mahila.

Didi: But you prefer the rule of a party that smacks of Stalinism? :
SJ: Yes, Stalinism is still accepted by the international Intelligentsia. We can do better by shifting to Maoism that made China a super power.


Didi: So, you fooled me in believing that you wanted a change and I fought for change to win the elections?
SJ: Not realy Didi. I am an apolitical person. The voters think that you have fooled them. The change you have brought is undersirable in many ways. We didn't mind your going Stalinism way or even combining Maoism with Stalinism. But you are adopting Hitlerism while talking about Nazrul, Vivekanada and Tagore at the same breadth. That is a shameful regressive idea. And, the Indian Yahoo has already awarded you as the top most unpopular political leader in the country. And, that award came just a day after you got the 98th rank in Times Magazine for being most Influential. We do not like you to get the New Yorkers influenced or you get influenced by them. You are a petty bourguoise leader that Bengalis hate.

Didi. Fine, why do you appeal to me to resign? You did not do so, when I was no where near and make similar appeal to CPM Chief Ministers?

SJ: Simple, they were Bharlok Dadas who are not considerate enough. You are lady - Mahila, though not being admitted by the exclusive club of Bhadra Mahilas: but you as a simple Janodarodi Mahila, have a great heart: you may as well agree to resign. Besides, being whimsical, you may resign afterwards being tired and disgusted with your partymen many of whom are permanent hooligan members of only Ruling parties.. So why not resign now.

Didi:. What if I do not resign now?

SJ: That would be a minor problem - the rival parties may find it difficult to get adequate hooligans to support the reformed and cleaned up new CPM in 2016. And, they do not know how the Courts will handle the Corpse (Kankal) Kando and other cases.  But do not worry, they have already created lots of issues against you. This will allow them to launch Mamata Eviction campaign very strongly and they hope this will see them through in the Panchyat Elections. They will come back in 2013 and then the hooligans will also return to CPM fold once again. You will be routed in 2016.

Didi: Then why you want me to resign, if I am out in any case in 2016?
SJ: Just to save time, reduce the shouting, rallies affecting the common man. Why allow another Kurukhetra bloodshed. You may return to Congress after you resign.


Didi: So, all this what you are doing is a pre-arranged drama? I suspected so.
SJ: Everyone knows how much politics is all about Drama. You are in the Drama, so are The Press and the media now supporting your rival parties. Every one will desert you in the next three years. Maa, Maati, Manush will desert you. Given this prediction, it is better for you to resign immdiately and go and enjoy your MP pension of Rs20,000 per month from now. Even the MPs who deserted you will do the same after 2016 in any case.

Didi: Thank you for sparing time with me. I shall consider your appeal when appropriate. Now go away and disappear but tell others that you are still not being arrested because you got anticipatory bail. You will surely be invited to participate in the M-kusti Kata and M-bhooter Pindi Chatkano TV episodes for few evenings.