| by Swadesh Roy reporting from Kolkata
( December 12, 2012,
Kolkata, Sri Lanka Guardian) He is an editor of an old daily of India. Before
the last election of West Bengal I met with
him in his office. Then he was very much vocal in favor of Mamata Banarjee and
his newspaper was towards Mamata and her party. Last week I again met with him,
he told that, “what Mamata is doing it is horrible; she has humiliated an
educated person of her cabinet ,so, he has resigned today and in place of him
Mamata has appointed a minister who has no school education but his portfolio
is technology. Can you think that a man without any education will be able to
run the technology ministry? Does she know the importance of technology
ministry now a day?” In the mean time
many telephone call came to him; one of his conversation was this,” this
government will not continue five years because in the mean time Mamata has
proved that she is not eligible to run a government.” He also added that, “in
spite of all these incidents left front will not come to power in the next
election. Before the next election political polarization of West
Bengal will be different.” I did not ask him, regarding the new
polarization but through his conversation I understood that, Indian National Congress
will be a factor in the next election; and a new polarization can take place by
the Indian National congress.
 |
I got the chance to talk to many villagers of West Bengal. They admit that, Mamata has a good number of supporters in the village area but there is difference between the CPM and the Mamata. CPM still has a good organization in the village but Mamata has a personal support.
I also met an editor of
a new Bengali Daily. He is a supporter of Mamata Banarjee. He is in very good
mood because within one year his daily has reached 200 hundred thousand circulations.
He is happy with his newspaper and he is thinking that, his newspaper has a
good quality, that is why it has got this circulation but the main cause is
different. The upper middle class and the educated class of Kolkata have more
or less withdrawn their support from Mamata. So the major newspapers editors of
Kolkata have understood that, they have to walk with the middle class and the
educated class as they are the readers of the newspapers. On the other hand
some newspapers always maintain a motto
that, they will support positive and progressive attitude; the attitude of
Mamata and his party is basically confusing attitude which cannot be accepted by any responsible
person. So the responsible editors are doing their duty. Therefore most of the
newspapers of Kolkata are now critical regarding Mamata. But it is true Mamata
has still a support in the common class. That new newspaper is getting response
from them.
But in Kolkata Mamata
is still enjoying a number of supports. I talked many drivers and the vegetable
venders and a major portion of them are not unhappy with her. To talk with the
middle class like professors, doctors, business executives, journalists and to
talk with the common people my assessment is that, majority people of Kolkata
have withdrawn their support from Mamata. But these people did not take any
decision, which party or leader they will support in future? One senior
journalist -writer, he is also a supporter of Mamata Banarjee was telling me
that, we have no place to tell any serious matter. He was telling me that, “what
is happening with Bangladesh
regarding Testa it is not fair, but if there is any leader in West
Bengal like Pronab babu we could discuss with him. But now we have
no leader like Jotiy babu or Pronab babu.” So it is also significant that the educated supporters of
Mamata are not recognizing her as a leader of a national stature.
However, when I go to
Kolkata I meet with Tapas Ganguly a senior journalist and the brother of writer
Shamal Ganguly. He is not only my good friend but also I like his political
analysis, because he is an internationally recognized journalist. I asked him, what is the present situation of
the politics of West Bengal? He told me that,”
you know that, the people of the village never get anything. So they have no
demand. Besides that, they react later than the people of the city. But the
people of the city are very much cautious, they want more and they always walk
in the way of their own narrow interest. So if any of their interest be
hampered they react immediately. We have seen at the time of left front regime,
Kolkata people were not happy with left front or CPM. But they had a good
organization and support in village and they ruled thirty years basically by
the support of the villagers. Now the position of Mamata is like CPM. Mamata
has lost her support in Kolkata but she has a good support in village.”
I got the chance to
talk to many villagers of West Bengal. They
admit that, Mamata has a good number of supporters in the village area but
there is difference between the CPM and the Mamata. CPM still has a good
organization in the village but Mamata has a personal support. A large number
of people in village love Mamata as a DIDI (older sister) but her organization
is not good even most of the criminals of village are the main man of her
party. But it is true that Mamata’s upcoming fight is in the village. It is a
grass root local government election of West Bengal.
In West Bengal this local government election
of the grass root level is called Panchaet Parishad. CPM is also enjoying a
overwhelm majority in this Panchaet Parisad. Mamata wants to strengthen her
foot through this Panchaet election. But a number of village people are
thinking that it will not be easy for Mamata because her party organization is
not good in the village and her leaders of the village have bad reputation. In
the local government election, it always depends on strength of party
organization and the reputation of the candidate. But village people are thinking
that a major bloodshed and nasty violence can happen in this election because the
notorious leaders of Mamata will want to win the election by any means. But Mamata wants to a crash program on the CPM
in panchaet election even she wants to occupy those places which is under the
control of the Indian National Congress.
However, last year some
political analysts of India
told me that, “Mamata will take a positive decision regarding Testa after the
election of this Panchaet. Because, she will be able to strengthen her foot
more after this local government election.” But now the scenario has totally
changed. Mamata is now out of the central government besides that now she is
alone in the central politics. On the other hand she cannot be able to
strengthen her foot more rather she is losing her strength. In this position a
decision like Testa treaty come from her is more critical. So now the Testa
treaty is totally depends on the central government of India. How they
will do it; it is totally their concern now.
Swadesh Roy,
Executive Editor, the Janakantha, Dhaka, Bangladesh and regular with the Sri
Lanka Guardian. He can be reached at swadeshroy@gmail.com
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