Initially, Mamata Banerjee was in a mode of denial about the existence of the Maoists in Bengal - like the erstwhile Left Front government in the state, and now the same Maoists have turned out to be omnipresent for her. The fluctuating positions of the Bengal chief minister only speaks of how the politicians change their stance to suit short-term gains. It is indeed unfortunate that people have to live with such wavering politicians cutting across party lines, without much choice on offer.
Mamata Banerjee has the rare ability of making personalities popular, and her Maoist (also read opposition) mania has only added to that credential. Prof Ambikesh Mahapatra of Jadavpur University and his septuagenarian neighbour Subrata Sengupta have shot into fame, albeit for the wrong reasons, thanks to her mercurial attitude.
Even after the goons belonging to the Trinamool Congress harassed the two professionals, she could have infused reason by either keeping away from the controversy or by leaving it to the law enforcing agencies to investigate the allegations. Instead, the chief minister chose to intervene on a matter which lies within the purview of the officer in-charge of a police station. By echoing the views of what the Trinamool Congress activists were arguing, she diminished her own position from being the administrative head of the state to a mere party leader.
Being a street fighter has always added to Mamata Banerjee's advantage. Even after becoming the chief minister, she has demonstrated her proximity to the "ordinary others", rather than portraying an air of false intellectualism. But her proximity to the cause of the ordinary man doesn't necessary mean that she needs to comment on each and every issue in public domain. Often politicians tend to overlook the fact that silence sometimes is louder than words.
The way Mamata Banerjee has conducted herself in the Park Street molestation and many other cases have only demonstrated that she needs to go a long way to muster the skills expected of an able administrator. The inept handling of successive events can in the long run even undermine her authority to preside over the same people, who more than a year ago elected Mamata Banerjee with a thumping majority.
Another trait which brings Mamata Banerjee closer to the masses is her simple lifestyle. Many consider it to be symbolic to muster political gains, yet it is not easy to control oneself when the ultimate authority of running the show lies with her. She has not only single-handedly decimated the CPI-M in the state, but is also calling the shots in the functioning of the coalition at the centre. In such a situation it is not unusual to consider oneself as the ultimate repository of power and act in a reckless manner, without much propriety. Fortunately, such a thing has not happened in the case of Mamata Banerjee, despite being so close to power for such a long time after rising from a very humble background.
Despite such demonstrable strengths, Mamata Banerjee's actions often seemed very flimsy and bereft of any rhyme or reason. The way she conducted herself on many occasions, especially on her interactions with the opposition, even after becoming the chief minister of a state only speaks of her lack of manoeuvring skills expected of a seasoned politician. Her angry remarks against the Maoists and seeing their handiwork on every note of dissent may in the long run be construed as a symptom of chronic fear and insecurity, which can be damaging for the people of the state, the Trinamool Congress and its supremo.
Undoubtedly, Mamata Banerjee is a crafty politician, probably she is raising her pitch only to polarise the political space in Bengal, between the Trinamool Congress and others. However, the danger of such a polarisation is that the middle ground gradually gets depleted, leading to exposition of extreme positions, which is not conducive to the politics of pluralism and tolerance.
All comments are personal.
Tirthankar.Bandyopadhyay.Blog@gmail.com
No comments:
Post a Comment