Born in mid eighties, I have always seen the Writer's building painted Red. I had always knew a few terms associated with the phenomenon of democracy called election, and in West Bengal, it always brought in some words and colloquials, every time, every way!
1) Sattor-er Juug (The Times of '70s ~ 1970-80): Under Siddhartah Shankar Ray, Bengal faced a turmoil, which was capitalized by the faces from the mass, leaders of different idealogies who believed in "wealth for the common"; believed in Communism. (Late) Shri Jyoti Basu, led the mast aloof and supported by the mass, led with the band of brothers that included names like, Manohar Thirkey, Manindra Nath Bhattacharya, Dinesh Chandra Dakua, Chobban Ghazi, etc...stormed into the West bengal Legislature. They were here to stay...for the next 34 years!
2) Gum Khun (Mystery Murder).
3) Lal Durgo (Red Bastion) ~ The Purulia, Medinipur, Bankura, Birbhum and Bardhaman Districts. Famous for electing Communist leaders over the years...some from independence.
4) Poribartan (Change). Reality bites, that came into effect post 2008 Panchayat Elections.
Today, holding the leading guidelines of Mamata Banerjee, the Green army shall be entering the administrative dias of the Writer's Building, comprising of Congress and Trinamul Congress. She had lead on a lone fight, the one person whom I had seen constant for the past 20 years, since 1990s. She started as a normal member, a grass-root worker and now sits on the helm of the state, which had been red for the past 34 years. In 2006, the election result read: Left Front (CPIM, CPI, RSP, FB, RJD) had a count of 226, TMC+INC were mere 50. Today the result reads, INC+TMC: 226 LF: 63. There are 294 seats in 2011, Bengal assembly.
I am not here to find reasons; had enough talk on that in this blog as well on face book the whole day today!
I just want to thank Trinamool & INC for their victory. a change was needed, that is done. Now lets see, how it affects us. Let the changes brought about as per promised, place Bengal to the place of think tank yet again and let us be proud to feel again: WHAT BENGAL THINKS TODAY, INDIA THINKS TOMMORROW! (Gopalkrishna Gokhale, famous notion pre-independence, 1947)
I came across this really "funny" article, intended to tarnish the "change". It really defies me and my understanding about the common sense of the writer of the column, that winning a "battle" needs muscle power as well as proper planning. The good plans have already being mentioned in my last article, about making "herself" (Mamata Banerjee) presentable and staying with the known faces have boosted the image to a lot of expense. Tying up with the "goons" [which the article mentions] as well as the "elite" [which the article doesn't], made her at par with the ripened and mostly rotten brains of NO CHANGE!
Did anybody give it a thought ever, as to why a party comes to power for over 35 years, without having half of West Bengal developed? Development in West Bengal, since 1976-77 is enlisted below:
1) Land Reforms: Removing the Bargadars and Zamindars (Land Owners), doesn't solve the problem. Distribution of Land among the peasants was surely a strong step that the Communist led Government had taken that could cement their position for the coming years since then, but for 35 years is simply un-imaginable. Distribution doesn't gurantee erasing all the pains that come upon the land owners. Reforming the socio-economic structure was important, which was slow paced and mostly un-touched, plans, still to be executed.
2) Government Control doesn't always legitimate the say of Party Workers only! The partiality brought about by the Left in the administration bears scars in the walls of all the Government Offices, where getting jobs meant to be party member of the Red Bastion.
3) Politicizing the Student Education was one of the worst decision that the Government allowed, killing the excellence. Calcutta University, Presidency College, Jadavpur University, Sibpur BE College, etc; renowned institutions, not only in West Bengal, but India as well as in the World, fell from their aura. A system, once inducted will carry-on, and if Mamata Banerjee can stop this, then she will be blessed like the Leftists were. Improve Education.
4) Destruction of Work Culture. Today, Bengal government officials take the most paid as well as early leaves. Kick them out! You have a Union that stands for the work thief! Starting for the government organization to the private sectors, becoming the flag bearer for a party has become a fashion, based on which the lazy wins the race!
5) Talking about flag bearers, the transport union formed under such political banners also make their own statement, creating a lot of fuss and trouble to the daily passengers. Tell them for their behavior, they will show you a card: CPIM and now a days TMC!
6) Shutting down potential industries all over bengal, for reason unknown, except political interference!
TMC might be doing the same; why say might, they will. But to over throw the red would atleast give healthy returns to the public, as TMC would try to be in the throne for coming years, with good work. A public gain. Hnece a change is NEEDED!
In the next few articles, I will try to put down a series of articles called hope of change and really hope to complete the series, before the 13th May, 2011; the day when the West Bengal assembly Results pops out!
This year, for the past 3 years have been mentioned as a year of change. A change from the ruling of the Communist Party of India and it's alliance, which had over ruled all the decisions, for the past 7 terms, ~ 35 years. Started with Late Jyoti Basu and believed to end with Buddhadeb Bhattacharya. Several reasons have been spotted for the need of this change, but till date every one had only one option. None other than the the CPM. This time round, since 2008-09, Mamata Banerjee, the all in one leader from Trinamool Congress holds the batton for the change. In this first article I shall put forward what the ruling Leftists did wrong that helped TMC to gain grounds into the heart of Bengal Population.
This speaks for what he was up to like most of the ministers for the past few years.
2) Nandigram. A baseless "shooting" for a project that was just on the verge of taken into consideration. Bhattacharya govt blew their horns to the maximum extent, comparing that to be the bloodiest day in the history of Bengal Politics post Independence, being compared to Jalianwala Bagh.
3) Till date, Nandigram remained an issue. But, Netaigram brought forward a new picture, when the CPM -goons shot without warning over a population of villagers, killing 14 villagers, officially. The name of CPM leader came upfront.
4) M/s Banerjee is on a winning chariot because, post 2006, she has become very composed and less rough and rude. Its a face that makes her acceptable, with the intellectual community, the elite and distinct. The leader has placed a point cleverly across the table, appearing for the several game shows and award ceremonies, corporate meets, etc that has brought in a different aura along her side.
5) Placing herself among the dignitaries in various fields, the leader has come up brilliant ideas. Virtual till date but can be realized if she comes to power. So the Bengal has shown trend to give her the opportunity. 2009, Parliament was a clean sweep, the Panchayats and Municipalities too... now its 2011, the big game for the big house...
Just a reminder of what happened in 2006; will compare it after 2011th's May 13.
West Bengal Assembly Election Result Candidate Wise 2006
There is no CHEERS before lending a sip into this peg... its salted or blant, made of tears over the years....
Kolkata, a city ever expanding with it's horizons, where a good fourty years back was confined in a radius of 20kms from Shyambazar to Dharamtala, even the palatial Victoria Memorial was a part of daily outskirt adventure now grows into a mega city, with hypothetical MEGA PROJECTS!!!
But it bleeds...its soaked with tears...
Time and again, the world has seen great political minds come up from bengal and this one place where the bengalis are GOOD at.... Think Politically.
40 years back, it was the brigade frontier held by the present day communist rulers (should I mention them psuedo-communists) that was beaten up and then Bengal got a new government which still rules, but is ROTTEN to the CORE! There is NOT a single leader who have come from the masses.... In that beating, 40years ago...i have not heard any tale of any present day leader get a blood bath! Only few innocent people died that day...CPIM(L) (a number of divisions) had celebrated Matyr's Day (শহীদ দীবস) but the leader from the masses, who has had tales of being hurt and have dodged several attempts by the ruling government to attack her, Ms Mamata Banerjee calls her own organizations' Matyr's Day, 21st July. The occasion is to reverberate her presence in physical, chemical as well as biological entity.... This year, 21stJuly, commemorates 17th year of such heinous offence....
17th July 1993, the year, the date when I was still studying in standard 3. Something had happened, where I saw a lull prevail in Calcutta, in the evening. Everyone was glued to the television, trying to grasp the news of the day...
Today, I know that on the day mentioned, blood followed by tears flew from the veins and eyes of loved ones of the "Political Matyrs', thanks to the motion of Democratic protests against the feudal landlords and the demand for work for atleast one in each family. Back then, the modern Supremo of the All India Trinamool Congress, Ms Mamata Banerjee was a student leader of All India Youth Congress, a lady who was formed from the pity state of the slums, trying to change the state and social condition of the masses. She was beaten on her forehead and bullets showered at the Mayo Road crossing, Central Calcutta, taking 13 lives of youth who demanded work for food.... legally. In this regard I want to quote K. Gupta in one of the strong worded article published on net against the then Chief Minister's (Late Jyoti Basu) death... " Had it been Jyoti Banerjee lying unattended in a filthy general ward of SSKM Hospital in Kolkata and not Jyoti Basu in the state-of-the-art ICCU of AMRI Hospital, among the swankiest and most expensive super-speciality healthcare facilities in West Bengal, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh would not have bothered to arrange for a video-conference for top doctors at AIIMS to compare notes with those attending on the former Chief Minister of West Bengal. Jyoti Banerjee, like most of us, spent his working life paying taxes to the Government. Jyoti Basu spent the better part of his life living off tax-payers’ money — the conscience of the veteran Marxist was never pricked by the fact that he appropriated for himself a lifestyle shunned by his comrades and denied to the people of a State whose fate he presided over for a quarter century. " (Ref: http://www.dailypioneer.com/228148/Destroyer-of-West-Bengal.html )
The atrocities over the poor peasants continued in Nandigram by same government under a different CM who LOVES Doing Mistakes: Buddhadeb Bhattacharya. The death toll was never announced....
Dead Dog - Thanks CPM Government, WB.
Today also, Dharamtala sees a mass gathering, which have been ever growing each year for the 17 years.... This is the picture of the gathering taken from The Telegraph, last year:
Courtesy: The Telegraph, Kolkata. 2009.
From the same source of media, I would like to put forward a picture, 17 years ago, that shouts out the ailment that Bengal is being through for many a years... The left front claim of a similar incident in 1960s where many people were killed by the then Congress Government led by Mr. Siddharta Shankar Ray, but not a single leader can show injury history in that...today they cry and shed tears...but they fought behind inncoent peasants....
Courtesy: The Statesman Calcutta, 22.7.1993
Today, while coming in the metro...peasants conquered the dias than the common man.... they are here for a change. since 2007, the wind of change is on its final lap... people say that today's gathering will cross 500,000 heads, spanning from Dharamtala, Central Avenue, S.N.Banerjee Road, Mayo Road, Red Road, Brabourne Road, Jawaharlal Nehru Road and A.J.C Bose Road (Rabindra Sadan crossing).
I, as usual protest the pseudo communism as the leaders under the name of Communism are doing nothing for the Community... but making the Community a Commodity!!!!
Since October 5th, 2009 I have been at home, having resigned from work and keeping all my fingers crossed after the October 10th, 2009's announcement of the CSIR-UGC NET results where I did crack a position. Time had not been idle, running to places with the desire to talk to the few scientists especially in the field of Cell and Molecular Biology, with my special emphasize on Cancer and related work.
But for the past one week I had almost no work, but things changed midway, when a three day drama concluding yesterday. Some regions of Indian Union have always faced terror and unrest from the Maoists since the mid seventies. They fall under POTA and are an illegal organization by Indian Law. Any person having any link with the people in the organization are considered to be terrorists, threatening the Indian Internal securities and are valid prisoners in the name of the law.
Maoists have always managed war in exile and under cover from the forests of Central India, that expands to states like West Bengal, Bihar, Jharkhand, Orissa, Andhra Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh and parts of Karnataka. This time, it was one of the major operations taking place on Tuesday, 20th October 2009. The Maoists raided the Sankrail Police Station in West Midnapore district, killing two officers and abductinf the Officer in Charge [OC], Mr. Atindranath Dutta. They also looted a national bank a block away and boarded on bikes made their way into the jungle with the booty of 10,00,000 INR [approx] and the OC. Then followed a drama....
[A few people would cursing me for using such words, but please go through and then say whether it was a drama or not. I have all the goodwill for the Dutta family, of Ahiritolla, Kolkata. But I have the "drama" desciption for the others.]
Tuesday, with the news of the abduction of the OC, the media people started contacting the Dutta family and also the Maoist leader, Kishanji for the ransom or aspects that can lead to the freedom of the abducted OC. The fight for TRP [True'st' Report Publicity] started between trhe various regional news channel who have been politically active since the Lok Sabha election. I would refrain myself from naming the channels, but they had the following news to uphold [all questions translated to english]:
1) How are you feeling? [Question asked to Mr. Dutta's wife, after the news of abduction was given her]
2) Is the government listening to the cry of the 1.5 years old daughter of the OC? [Face to Face reporting when Dutta family was inside Mr. B. Bhattacharya's room in an act of plead]
3) What do you want Kishanji? [The first question with matter being asked by a reporter over the phone. Atlast they were talking sense.]
and many more... This reminded me of "Good Reporting Advertisement" by Hindusthan Times. Have a look:
After you have enjoyed what the I mean, here is something which is more enjoyable being part of a drama. Reminded me of the Shahruk-Juhi starrer, Phir Bhi Dil Hain Hindusthani. There took was a fight between the K channel and the Q channel here its a fight between the a celestial body with time. [Wise people will know what I meant]
When the OC was being released after 54 hours of an ordeal and the ransom demand of the Maoists was to liberate the innocent tribal women were accepted, the climax of the whole drama started with the media. The two major players in the colloqial news bandwidth started the following:
Mr. Dutta's father thanked us ... We give you the first telecast of the release... How do you feel?.... We are the first to talk with the Maoists... etc etc....
Lalgarh and the adjacent regions in West bengal are being regularly bulleted by the Internal Armed men and the Police with reply bullets from the interior of the jungle. If the Maoists are terrorists and the government thinks so much for the Internal security, even the opposition leaders, then why dont they catch hold of the leaders... pull the head and the body will coem out. Please dont tell that it isnt possible, because this time the media was constantly over the phone with the Maoist leaders for over 10 minutes on an average. With my limited knowledge about the tracking technology, I know, its possible to track a person if he or she is on a phone, single connection for over 3 minutes.... that's the minimum requirement. What I see is a big Hoax...! May be the biggest in this step up to the State Assembly Election in Bengal, 2011.
Pic Courtesy: The Hindu ~ Mr. Dutta's wife and daughter to meet Chief Minister of West Bengal.
I bear all my sympathies with the Dutta family and for the "innocent tribal women" in Police custody, but the custodians of law, i.e the State Government and the Opposition leaders seemed very silent over the whole issue. Whatever talking was done by the Dutta family, Kishanji and the Media reporter. Does it mean, the media personnel are the people who ensures the security or are entitled to take the diplomatic decisions? Some magic happened, as if, after the Dutta family visit to the CM, the ransom to liberate the women was accepted and the IC was released. The media calls this: The First Ever Release of Prisoner of War [P.O.W] {see pic: courtesy The Telegraph, Kolkata} by the Maoists in India.Great gimmick...!!! I guess this has something to do with diversion of mind from something grave...If I knew it, I would have published it...!
