Another 5 years for Mamata despite 'little focus' on economy, development?

By NS Venkataraman*
I am not in politics. However, I am a close political observer for the last several years. I try to objectively analyse the movement of politics and politicians to the best of my ability, without having any prejudice or love or hate for any political outfit or political philosophy.
In my capacity as chemical engineer, I was working in a factory in West Bengal several years back, when Jyoti Basu was the Chief Minister of the state. Before moving to West Bengal, I worked in a factory in Kerala in a chemical plant. When I was working in Kerala too, I have seen Marxist government in the state.
I was gheroed in West Bengal for second time, after being gheroed in Kerala for the first time. Nevertheless, I have not allowed this bitter experience to influence my overall impression about both these states, which have unique and laudable features.
During my working in West Bengal, I became a sincere admirer of Bengalis for variety of positive reasons.
I always felt that if Bengal were to get a progressive government with national outlook with a knowledgeable and earnest Chief Minister, West Bengal could become one of the most prosperous states in the country. It has no reason not to be so. Though Jyoti Basu was a highly cultured and civilized person, he could not stop violent and hate politics in West Bengal for whatever reasons, though he could successfully maintain his image as a decent and respectable person.
Now that Mamata Banerjee has been the Chief Minister of West Bengal for 10 years as unquestioned founder leader of Trinamul Congress, I feel she has not utilized the opportunity to benefit the state to the extent needed, given the massive mandate she has had.
During her 10 years rule, violent incidents have remained unabated in West Bengal and her image and claim that she was a street fighter has not helped the matter.
I observed how Mamata Banerjee entered a police station in the state and forced the police to release a worker belonging to her party, who was arrested by the police for some offence. My immediate feeling was: How could a Chief Minister do such a thing. I started wondering as to whether any other Chief Minister has done similar act in any state in India. I could not find another example.

I am not particularly impressed by several of the criticisms made against her such as appeasing minority community

Since this happened during the beginning of her first term, I thought she would improve her public conduct and refrain from similar acts in future. Though she did not repeat such a tantrum, the language that she has been using frequently, even as Chief Minister of the state, to criticise the leaders of the opposition parties has not helped create a conducive atmosphere to end the violent atmosphere in the state.
At the same time, I am not particularly impressed by several of the criticisms made against her such as appeasing minority community, allowing her nephew to interfere in government and party affairs etc. However, I cannot but note that she has not been able to inculcate a climate of economic and industrial growth in the state to any significant level.
The ground reality and the fact is that Mamata Banerjee was focusing more in political acts rather than acts relating to economy and development and her Chief ministership has been weighing more towards political aspects rather than on development and economic aspects. This scenario would become clear to any observer with regard to economic development registered in West Bengal during the last ten years.
In short, it has been noisy West Bengal that she is leading rather than a dignified and progressive West Bengal that Bengalis richly deserve and need.
So has West Bengal experimented enough with Mamata Banerjee’s Chief Ministership, and should the state give way to another leader as Chief Minister, who may have possibly a different approach? Can West Bengal afford another five years of the type of leadership that Mamata Banerjee could provide?
Perhaps, West Bengal needs a Naveen Patnaik, the Chief Minister of the neighbouring state Odisha. He should be the bench mark for dignified governance. Of course, I do not suggest which should be other political party that should come to power in West Bengal after the election.
Can any one reasonably hope that Mamata Banerjee would give a different type of more positive leadership in the next five years than what she has done in the last ten years? If somebody would entertain such hope, wouldn’t it end up as Utopian expectation and as calculated risk?
---
*Trustee, Nandini Voice for The Deprived, Chennai

Comments

Mudit Jain said…

All governments in India both at the state and central level have kept India backward compared to its poorer Asian neighbours in the past but who are now far ahead of India economically. So the logical answer would be to outsource governments as it is only about power without responsibility towards their people.

March 20, 2021

A comrade in culture and controversy: Yao Wenyuan’s revolutionary legacy

By Harsh Thakor* This year marks two important anniversaries in Chinese revolutionary history—the 20th death anniversary of Yao Wenyuan, and the 50th anniversary of his seminal essay "On the Social Basis of the Lin Biao Anti-Party Clique". These milestones invite reflection on the man whose pen ignited the first sparks of the Great Proletarian Cultural Revolution and whose sharp ideological interventions left an indelible imprint on the political and cultural landscape of socialist China.

Ahmedabad's Sabarmati riverfront under scrutiny after Subhash Bridge damage

By Rosamma Thomas* Large cracks have appeared on Subhash Bridge across the Sabarmati in Ahmedabad, close to the Gandhi Ashram . Built in 1973, this bridge, named after Subhash Chandra Bose , connects the eastern and western parts of the city and is located close to major commercial areas. The four-lane bridge has sidewalks for pedestrians, and is vital for access to Ashram Road , Ellis Bridge , Gandhinagar and the Sabarmati Railway Station .

No action yet on complaint over assault on lawyer during Tirunelveli public hearing

By A Representative A day after a detailed complaint was filed seeking disciplinary action against ten lawyers in Tirunelveli for allegedly assaulting human rights lawyer Dr. V. Suresh, no action has yet been taken by the Bar Council of Tamil Nadu and Puducherry, according to the People’s Union for Civil Liberties (PUCL).

Farewell to Robin Smith, England’s Lionhearted Warrior Against Pace

By Harsh Thakor* Robin Smith, who has died at the age of 62, was among the most adept and convincing players of fast bowling during an era when English cricket was in decline and pace bowling was at its most lethal. Unwavering against the tormenting West Indies pace attack or the relentless Australians, Smith epitomised courage and stroke-making prowess. His trademark shot, an immensely powerful square cut, made him a scourge of opponents. Wearing a blue England helmet without a visor or grille, he relished pulling, hooking and cutting the quicks.

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.

Urgent need to study cause of large number of natural deaths in Gulf countries

By Venkatesh Nayak* According to data tabled in Parliament in April 2018, there are 87.76 lakh (8.77 million) Indians in six Gulf countries, namely Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates (UAE). While replying to an Unstarred Question (#6091) raised in the Lok Sabha, the Union Minister of State for External Affairs said, during the first half of this financial year alone (between April-September 2018), blue-collared Indian workers in these countries had remitted USD 33.47 Billion back home. Not much is known about the human cost of such earnings which swell up the country’s forex reserves quietly. My recent RTI intervention and research of proceedings in Parliament has revealed that between 2012 and mid-2018 more than 24,570 Indian Workers died in these Gulf countries. This works out to an average of more than 10 deaths per day. For every US$ 1 Billion they remitted to India during the same period there were at least 117 deaths of Indian Workers in Gulf ...

Celebrating 125 yr old legacy of healthcare work of missionaries

Vilas Shende, director, Mure Memorial Hospital By Moin Qazi* Central India has been one of the most fertile belts for several unique experiments undertaken by missionaries in the field of education and healthcare. The result is a network of several well-known schools, colleges and hospitals that have woven themselves into the social landscape of the region. They have also become a byword for quality and affordable services delivered to all sections of the society. These institutions are characterised by committed and compassionate staff driven by the selfless pursuit of improving the well-being of society. This is the reason why the region has nursed and nurtured so many eminent people who occupy high positions in varied fields across the country as well as beyond. One of the fruits of this legacy is a more than century old iconic hospital that nestles in the heart of Nagpur city. Named as Mure Memorial Hospital after a British warrior who lost his life in a war while defending his cou...

Differences in 2002 and 2025 SIR revision procedures spark alarm in Gujarat

By A Representative Civil rights groups and electoral reform activists have raised serious concerns over the ongoing Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls in Gujarat and 11 other states, alleging that the newly enforced requirements could lead to large-scale deletion of legitimate voters, particularly those unable to furnish documentation linking them to the 2002 electoral list.

From crime to verdict: The 27-year journey that 'rewarded' the destroyers of Babri Masjid

By Shamsul Islam Thirty-three years ago, on December 6, 1992, a 16th-century mosque was reduced to rubble by a frenzied mob orchestrated by the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) and its political fronts. The demolition was not a spontaneous outburst of Hindu sentiment; it was the meticulously planned culmination of a hate campaign that branded Indian Muslims as “Babur-ki-aulad” and the Babri Masjid as a symbol of historical humiliation.

Search This Blog