When political party offices and booths administer, also control public offices

By Harasankar Adhikari
Political party offices and booths, from the grass-roots to the highest levels of the particular political party, are primarily determined to meet the agenda of that political party—better living conditions for the general public and national progress. Its primary functions are to make supporters aware of the different public policies and to criticise them (in the case of opposition). The political party in the rule publicises different policies and programmes of the government undertaken to strengthen the nation's interests and those of the common mass - advantages of happy and comfortable living. The functions of political party offices and public offices are distinctly different with different mottos. Political party offices are assigned to strengthen the political network of the particular political party, while public offices are assigned to ensure good governance.
In West Bengal, political party offices play the role of parallel public offices as part of political party governance. These offices control every aspect of administration. It is a political network to determine party supporters. On the other hand, it is a tactical technique to identify political enemies or non-supporters. It is also an effort to award the supporters for their enjoyment of supporting the political party in power. The TMC-led government of West Bengal is implementing different programmes like Duare Sarkar (government at door step), Duare Ration (ration at door step) and other relief and welfare activities. The beneficiaries have to visit the local party office for application forms, and they have to submit the duly filled up forms to the party office. Local Panchayat offices or Block Development Offices would not entertain most applications without the recommendation of the Party Dada. No government officers have any choice to act without this hidden rule.
This is a tactical policy to reject eligible beneficiaries who are members of the so-called non-supporters or anti-supporters group of this political party. "You will get everything if you support or vote for our political party" – it is a common rule for the workers of TMC. As if these government benefits are only available to political party cadres. They may be wealthy etc. Thus, the economically better-off cadre enjoy the benefit of BPL. A cadre with a two-storeyed building gets the benefit of the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana. Of course, support for the political party means participating in political programme whenever it is called for. They would have no power or hope to raise their voice against the political party. No criticism is tolerable. Only praise is welcome. Supporters are sometimes provoked or act mischievously against anti supporters. The Lakshmi Bhandar is a women's scheme in which women from low-income families or unemployed housewives receive a monthly cash transfer of Rs.500 and Rs.1000 for women from SCs, STs, and OBCs. It is an effort to bind them by the ruling political party for a vote. It is a strategy of the neuro-marketing system. If a woman is being trapped, her family would be trapped by the political party. It is an easy vote making and ensuring process. A great number of women of well-to-do families enjoy these benefits because they are party supporters, while those who are genuinely needed are deprived of them because their political opinions are different.
It is a system of purchasing voters in Indian democracy. It surely strengthens the political network for longstanding rule by the particular political party. But it is breaking our social and cultural networks. The harmony of society is truncated based on the homogeneity of political supporters. It can become dangerous at times due to differences in the amount of benefits provided by the political party in power.

Comments

Gujarat Information Commission issues warning against misinterpretation of RTI orders

By A Representative The Gujarat Information Commission (GIC) has issued a press note clarifying that its orders limiting the number of Right to Information (RTI) applications for certain individuals apply only to those specific applicants. The GIC has warned that it will take disciplinary action against any public officials who misinterpret these orders to deny information to other citizens. The press note, signed by GIC Secretary Jaideep Dwivedi, states that the Right to Information Act, 2005, is a powerful tool for promoting transparency and accountability in public administration. However, the commission has observed that some applicants are misusing the act by filing an excessive number of applications, which disproportionately consumes the time and resources of Public Information Officers (PIOs), First Appellate Authorities (FAAs), and the commission itself. This misuse can cause delays for genuine applicants seeking justice. In response to this issue, and in acc...

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.

'MGNREGA crisis deepening': NSM demands fair wages and end to digital exclusions

By A Representative The NREGA Sangharsh Morcha (NSM), a coalition of independent unions of MGNREGA workers, has warned that the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA) is facing a “severe crisis” due to persistent neglect and restrictive measures imposed by the Union Government.

Gandhiji quoted as saying his anti-untouchability view has little space for inter-dining with "lower" castes

By A Representative A senior activist close to Narmada Bachao Andolan (NBA) leader Medha Patkar has defended top Booker prize winning novelist Arundhati Roy’s controversial utterance on Gandhiji that “his doctrine of nonviolence was based on an acceptance of the most brutal social hierarchy the world has ever known, the caste system.” Surprised at the police seeking video footage and transcript of Roy’s Mahatma Ayyankali memorial lecture at the Kerala University on July 17, Nandini K Oza in a recent blog quotes from available sources to “prove” that Gandhiji indeed believed in “removal of untouchability within the caste system.”

Targeted eviction of Bengali-speaking Muslims across Assam districts alleged

By A Representative A delegation led by prominent academic and civil rights leader Sandeep Pandey visited three districts in Assam—Goalpara, Dhubri, and Lakhimpur—between 2 and 4 September 2025 to meet families affected by recent demolitions and evictions. The delegation reported widespread displacement of Bengali-speaking Muslim communities, many of whom possess valid citizenship documents including Aadhaar, voter ID, ration cards, PAN cards, and NRC certification.

'Centre criminally negligent': SKM demands national disaster declaration in flood-hit states

By A Representative The Samyukt Kisan Morcha (SKM) has urged the Centre to immediately declare the recent floods and landslides in Punjab, Himachal Pradesh, Jammu & Kashmir, Uttarakhand, and Haryana as a national disaster, warning that the delay in doing so has deepened the suffering of the affected population.

Saffron Kingdom – a cinematic counter-narrative to The Kashmir Files

By Syed Ali Mujtaba* “Saffron Kingdom” is a film produced in the United States by members of the Kashmiri diaspora, positioned as a response to the 2022 release “The Kashmir Files.” While the latter focused on the exodus of Kashmiri Pandits and framed Kashmiri Muslims as perpetrators of violence, “Saffron Kingdom” seeks to present an alternate perspective—highlighting the experiences of Kashmiri Muslims facing alleged abuses by Indian security forces.

From lazy to lost? The myths and realities behind generational panic about youth

By Bhabani Shankar Nayak Older generations in many societies often describe the young with labels such as “lazy, unproductive, lost, anxious, depoliticised, unpatriotic or wayward.” Others see them as “social media, mobile phone and porn addicts.” Such judgments arise from a generational anxiety rooted in fears of losing control and from distorted perceptions about youth, especially in the context of economic crises, conflicts, and wars in which many young lives are lost.

'Govts must walk the talk on gender equality, right to health, human rights to deliver SDGs by 2030'

By A Representative With just 64 months left to deliver on the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), global health and rights advocates have called upon governments to honour their commitments on gender equality and the human right to health. Speaking ahead of the 80th United Nations General Assembly (UNGA), experts warned that rising anti-rights and anti-gender pushes are threatening hard-won progress on SDG-3 (health and wellbeing) and SDG-5 (gender equality).

Counterview

Search This Blog