No Loyalty-based Poor-Poor Divide

In an interesting TV interview to Zee's 24 Ghanta News Channel, the first in the last 310 days sincehe conceeded defeat of Left Front to Mamata's Trinamool, Buddhadev Bhattacharya, former chief Minister of West Bengal has reportedly siad that it was incorrect for his party, CPM, to divide the poor into two groups: those who supported the CPMand those who did not or supported other parties/ opposition parties. This had resulted in many poor votes shifting away from his party while casting their votes. It seems that CPM should be making thiscorrection. But this lesson is more important for Mamata, the current Chief Minister. This is an important element of the desired Parivartan / Change. No more Poor-Poor divide based on political party alliegance to extend benefits/ assistance or harassment should be the rule that Bengali politicians must adopt immediately in the true spirit of democracy. All poor citizens irrespective of political incliniations or party affiliations should be treated equally without discrimination of any sort.

But why restrict such wonderful priciple for application to thepoor only. Why divide the middlec-class or the rich even? Why patronise/ favour only those ofthe middle-class ( teachers, professionals, students, doctors, artists, novelists, etc) and the rich industrialists or businessmen including promoters/ housing materials supply syndicates and rowdies, ruffians and rugues who support your party and discriminate against those who support other parties or are apolitical or politically independent/ neutral? Let political parties rise above discrimnation of individual/ groups of citizens based on thieir political inclinination/ affiliation or apolitical stance. This only will make way for the quality of democracy in the State to improve. All political murders/ violence and most of the socially burdensome chaos arises only from intolerance and envy/ jealousy of political parties. Let the political parties pump oot their bad blood of intolerance of citizens based on theor political alliegance.

Buddhadev Bhattacharry is reportedly even willing to tolerate Mamata's alleged madness for her full five year term instead of hurrying into destructive political action to disrupt the society. His party cadres may, as in the past, little heed to his gentlemanly civilized advice. But Trinamool Congress could benefit more by following his advice rather than following the past mistakes of CPM. Does it really matter much to the Trinamool what alleged lies and misrepresentation of facts are published by the Telegraph, Ananda Bazar and Bartaman or what 24 Ghanta channel or Star Annada Channel telecast to malign the Trinamool? Neither do current opposition party leaders will lose significantly if they choose not to participate in support of such Newspapers and TV channels perceived by the Trinamool as deliberate maligning campaigns to blackmail the current Government and theruling party? Why get involved into controversial association of commercial press/ media? Citizens can make out what isthe Truth and motivation of headlines, news analysis campaigns of newspapers and TV news channels. If they can vote for a change with 30 lakh more people in favour in a voting population of abot 4.5 crores, do political parties need to be seen close to one or the other newspaper or TV news channel? Commercial Newspapers/ TV channels may often become arrogant over their power over the readers/ viewers in the citizenry: the Turth is that they cannot sustain themselves with untruthful/ misleading campaigns that peoople do not enjoy, irrespective of whether they get subscriptions by the libraries or the givernment advertisement revenues.