Skip to main content

Why anti-Mamata agitations, movements by BJP, Congress, CPM lack any strength

By Harasankar Adhikari 

Mamata Banerjee, the Trinamool Congress (TMC) Supremo and the Chief Minister of West Bengal, is a leader of gossip, debate, and criticism. She is among the very few leaders in India’s political history who have had no family background in politics, and she founded a separate political party and came to power in West Bengal.
The most important question in this democracy is whether she is an exceptionally exceptional leader or a leader without merit. She has every right to secure her captive vote bank. At least, poll results showed many times her party’s victory with an absolute majority in the last three assembly polls in West Bengal.
She is the only leader who formed her own party, and she is in power after defeating the 34-year-old Left Front within a decade. The majority of the population supports her and her party in spite of anti-encumbrance measures and continuous publicity (media trail and attack by the opposition). Now her government and her party are facing threats for rampant corruption and various allegations of money laundering and so forth. But no mass agitation or movement at large is here. It indicates that all malpractices are the politics of the anti-TMC. Why is it so?
Mamata has cleverly assessed and applied political diplomacy among the people of West Bengal. She has observed and studied the mental state of the people in Bengal, especially during the 34 years of Left rule. She investigated what the people of West Bengal desired in exchange for their vote, as well as the value of their vote. People have very general allegations about why they would vote.
Is it to make the leaders rich and wealthy? Whether they have no chance to change or are what they were or would be, She also assessed that a large number of political leaders (from the grassroots to the upper houses) were deprived of the minimum advantages for a better living standard. She tactically welcomes them all and integrates them under an umbrella named TMC. As a result, her agenda or manifesto was intended for both party leaders and the general public. Her message is that if they vote for her, they will benefit.
She traps voters by offering various packages of benefits, i.e Lakshmi Bhandar, Kanyashree, Rupashree, Sabuj Sathi
Accordingly, she traps voters by offering various packages of benefits, i.e Lakshmi Bhandar, Kanyashree, Rupashree, Sabuj Sathi, and so forth, according to the age, sex, economy, social background, and race of the voters. At the same time, she has no strict restriction on her party leaders' ability to raise funds deliberately. Thus, she balances all voters and her followers, who vote for her party and who organise the party and poll, respectively.
Her party leaders from different hierarchies, even elected representatives, are under trial for corruption for the selling of school jobs, taking bribes from the beneficiaries of different schemes, the coal scam, cow smuggling, etc. But Mamata Banerjee is not treating it as an obstacle to her political future. She is on the way. She ushers in different populist schemes when the government has a loan of Rs 6 lakh crore.
Agitation and movement against her government are one-sided among some of the victims and by the BJP, Congress, and CPM, which have no power to form a mass movement. The common people of West Bengal are used to gossip in groups. But they are not interested in taking action against it. The majority of them state that they are receiving benefits from the government that they were not previously receiving, and that there is no guarantee that they will continue to receive them if they oppose it. So, it is better to be silent.
There is reason to wonder: Has she broken the spine of the Bengalees as part of her great diplomacy in politics?

Comments

TRENDING

Loktantra Bachao Abhiyan raises concerns over Jharkhand Adivasis' plight in Assam, BJP policies

By Our Representative  The Loktantra Bachao Abhiyan (Save Democracy Campaign) has issued a pressing call to protect Adivasi rights in Jharkhand, highlighting serious concerns over the treatment of Jharkhandi Adivasis in Assam. During a press conference in Ranchi on November 9, representatives from Assam, Chhattisgarh, and Madhya Pradesh criticized the current approach of BJP-led governments in these states, arguing it has exacerbated Adivasi struggles for rights, land, and cultural preservation.

Promoting love or instilling hate and fear: Why is RSS seeking a meeting with Rahul Gandhi?

By Ram Puniyani*  India's anti-colonial struggle was marked by a diverse range of social movements, one of the most significant being Hindu-Muslim unity and the emergence of a unified Indian identity among people of all religions. The nationalist, anti-colonial movement championed this unity, best embodied by Mahatma Gandhi, who ultimately gave his life for this cause. Gandhi once wrote, “The union that we want is not a patched-up thing but a union of hearts... Swaraj (self-rule) for India must be an impossible dream without an indissoluble union between the Hindus and Muslims of India. It must not be a mere truce... It must be a partnership between equals, each respecting the religion of the other.”

Right-arm fast bowler who helped West Indies shape arguably greatest Test team in cricket history

By Harsh Thakor*  Malcolm Marshall redefined what it meant to be a right-arm fast bowler, challenging the traditional laws of biomechanics with his unique skill. As we remember his 25th death anniversary on November 4th, we reflect on the legacy he left behind after his untimely death from colon cancer. For a significant part of his career, Marshall was considered one of the fastest and most formidable bowlers in the world, helping to shape the West Indies into arguably the greatest Test team in cricket history.

Swami Vivekananda's views on caste and sexuality were 'painfully' regressive

By Bhaskar Sur* Swami Vivekananda now belongs more to the modern Hindu mythology than reality. It makes a daunting job to discover the real human being who knew unemployment, humiliation of losing a teaching job for 'incompetence', longed in vain for the bliss of a happy conjugal life only to suffer the consequent frustration.

A Hindu alternative to Valentine's Day? 'Shiv-Parvati was first love marriage in Universe'

By Rajiv Shah  The other day, I was searching on Google a quote on Maha Shivratri which I wanted to send to someone, a confirmed Shiv Bhakt, quite close to me -- with an underlying message to act positively instead of being negative. On top of the search, I chanced upon an article in, imagine!, a Nashik Corporation site which offered me something very unusual. 

Andhra team joins Gandhians to protest against 'bulldozer action' in Varanasi

By Rosamma Thomas*  November 1 marked the 52nd day of the 100-day relay fast at the satyagraha site of Rajghat in Varanasi, seeking the restoration of the 12 acres of land to the Sarva Seva Sangh, the Gandhian organization that was evicted from the banks of the river. Twelve buildings were demolished as the site was abruptly taken over by the government after “bulldozer” action in August 2023, even as the matter was pending in court.  

Will Bangladesh go Egypt way, where military ruler is in power for a decade?

By Vijay Prashad*  The day after former Bangladeshi Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina left Dhaka, I was on the phone with a friend who had spent some time on the streets that day. He told me about the atmosphere in Dhaka, how people with little previous political experience had joined in the large protests alongside the students—who seemed to be leading the agitation. I asked him about the political infrastructure of the students and about their political orientation. He said that the protests seemed well-organized and that the students had escalated their demands from an end to certain quotas for government jobs to an end to the government of Sheikh Hasina. Even hours before she left the country, it did not seem that this would be the outcome.

Will Left victory in Sri Lanka deliver economic sovereignty plan, go beyond 'tired' IMF agenda?

By Atul Chandra, Vijay Prashad*  On September 22, 2024, the Sri Lankan election authority announced that Anura Kumara Dissanayake of the Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP)-led National People’s Power (NPP) alliance won the presidential election. Dissanayake, who has been the leader of the left-wing JVP since 2014, defeated 37 other candidates, including the incumbent president Ranil Wickremesinghe of the United National Party (UNP) and his closest challenger Sajith Premadasa of the Samagi Jana Balawegaya. 

Green Revolution’s reliance on chemical fertilizers, pesticides contributing to Punjab's health crisis

By Bharat Dogra, Jagmohan Singh*  Punjab was once synonymous with robust health, particularly in its rural areas, where farmers were known for their strength and vitality. However, in recent years, reports from these villages tell a different story, with rising cases of serious health issues, including cancer. What led to this decline? The answer lies largely in the erosion of good nutrition, once a hallmark of Punjabi village life. The health of a population is closely tied to its nutrition, and Punjab's reputation as a provider of high-quality nutrition has suffered greatly. The loss of biodiversity in agriculture has led to a decrease in the variety and quality of crops, resulting in poorer nutrition. Pulses, a key source of protein, have seen a steep decline in cultivation due to the disruption of traditional farming practices by the Green Revolution. This has had a detrimental effect on both soil and human health. Although pulses are still available in the market, they are exp

Tributes paid to pioneer of Naxalism in Punjab, who 'dodged' police for 60 yrs

By Harsh Thakor*  Jagjit Singh Sohal, known as Comrade Sharma, a pioneer of Naxalism in Punjab, passed away on October 20 at the age of 96. Committed to the Naxalite cause and a prominent Maoist leader, Sohal, who succeeded Charu Majumdar, played hide and seek with the police for almost six decades. He was cremated in Patiala.