Changed Stance!

Only a couple of hours back Mamata Banerjee seemed to have found nothing wrong in the behaviour of Arabul Islam ,President Governing body of Bhangar College and nor in the threat openly spelt out by Shanku Ponda, the State president of TMCP to those teachers of the same colleges who're supposedly supporters of Communist Party of India( Marxist).What's more, the Panchayat Minister Sri Subrata Mukherjee on her behalf defended what they have done at Writers.Not only that, Mr. Mukherjee unbelievably presented a tenant of the the lady teacher who was locked in heated conversation with Arabul Islam before the journalists at Writers' to prove how ill tempered the lady is.But the day after Mamata Banerjee summoned both Arabul and Shanku at Writers and reprimanded them for their work.It's difficult to explain what exactly changed her stance over night.True,both Arabul and Shanku were drawing flak from different corners and image of the party was supposed to be getting tarnished.But Mamata Banerjee is a hard nut to crack and she is unlikely to retract in the face of public pressure only.Perhaps,Governer's attitude to the incident might have influenced Miss. Banerjee to some extent.Teachers of Bhangar College accompanied by the leaders of WBCUTA met the Guv who showed sympathy with the aggrieved teachers and assured them he'd look into the matter.What's more, he reportedly advised the lady teacher who was hurt by the jug allegedly thrown by Arabul to lodge a FIR with police.Incidentally, Subrata Mukherjee at Writers' refused to recognise the incident of jug throwing and injury inflicted on the lady teacher in the process in absence of any FIR and a medical report..After interview with Guv the lady teacher made FIR and also did meet a doctor to secure a proof that she was hurt.In fact, the scenario changed there after as was evident in Miss Banerjee's censure of Arabul and Shanku..

Merger of Mouzas with GTA?

Though hills are comparatively calm now, plains are burning.However,hills would soon feel the heat.GJM has already threatened to pull out of GTA treaty.Before signing GTA treaty people of Doors and Tarai should have been taken in to confidence as a host of mouzas from their land were decided to be merged with Gorkha territory.At least pulse of the people there should have been felt if they were agreeable to such merger.In fact there's a strong resentment among the most of the inhabitants of Terai and Doors against being included in GTA..GJM too know it well and so it's taken field to convince people on plains to join GTA.John Barla who was initially against merger but now is spearheading movement for merger.He was once the president of Terai Doors regional unit of Adibashi Bikas Parishad and is now expelled from Parishad.GJM tried to form Gorkha Land and Adbashi Territorial Administration(GATA) wtth the help of John Barla but the efforts some how fizzled out.Now it's any body's guess what will be the relevance of Shyamal Sen's committee to identify the mouzas those would be included in GTA..Now if the tribal take a determined stance not to be acceded to GTA or very few mouzas are available for merger, what will GJM do?Ultimate goal of GJM is to have a seperarte Gorkhaland which is also incorporated in GTA treaty.So the greater is the area of their territory the better will their dream land-a separate Gorkhaland.GJM has already signed the GTA treaty will they now back out as it's threatened to do?Or will it accept the present deal only to be prepared for a greater movement for separate Gorkhaland?However, the division of Bengal once again is by all means an impossibility.

Taxi ride at night!

Now taxi drivers would claim 15% extra fare for travel from 10-30pm till 4-30am.But would this extra money to be coughed up by the passengers ease availability of cabs at night?Among the metro cities Kolkata has the dubious distinction of highest taxi refusals.Even by day cab drivers refuse to go the way the passengers like to, let alone at night.Refusals get momentum after dask.The reason is the standard one-passengers will not be available on way back.In the evening if you like to go to Sealdah from Shyambazar driver will not mind to carry you to your destination but if you need to go to Dunlop from shyambazar there's a fair chance that you'll be denied a ride.You may be at best advised to go in for a shared taxi.Now to empower the cab drivers to demand 15% extra fare from 10.30pm only legitimizes the fact that now on it would be no wrong to demand extra fare from the passengers at night.Certainly extra fare would not be confined to 15% only-it'd be much more in most cases.Incidences of taxi refusals would have no quantitative change either.

Hate Campaign!

The food minster Jyotipriya Mallick's advisory to boycott CPM is nothing new.It's TMC's policy long since.When in opposition no TMC leader did share dais with their CPM counterpart even by mistake.It so happened a TMC leader made a u-turn at the sight of a CPM minister present on the stage at a certain occasion.It's for this reason TMC member never did attend all party meet convened by Left front govt.In fact, there was a standing instruction from TMC supremo to avoid CPM by all means.CPM too called upon their cadres to socially boycott the opponents, in a very subtle way of course, particularly in rural areas.What's very interesting is Mamata Banerjee did never so openly asked her cadres or leaders to ostracize CPM as Mr.Mallick has done.What's more,unlike Mr.Mallick Mamata Banerjee did never so vociferously issued dictum to her cadres not to go in for marital relation with CPM or boycott them socially in all respects.Nor has she ever said CPM need be hated otherwise revenge can't be taken on them like Mr.Mallick.This hate campaign is very dangerous as it might aid and abet political violence.This part of Mr.Mallick's statement would not be certainly approved of by Chief Minister herself.

Transfer of Ms.Damayanti Sen

Though govt claims transfer of Damayanti Sen, Joint Commissioner of
Police(Crime) is just a routine affair, people are not ready to buy
this argument.In view of Ms.Sen's painstaking efforts to have made a
break-through in Park Street rape case ,which Mamata Banerjee claimed
to be a concocted story to malign her govt, she should have been
allowed to continue in her present position till the investigation was
complete as the main culprit is still absconding.Instead of doing that
Ms.Sen has been transferred to a less important post at Barrackpore
.One may be afraid the on-going enquiry in the rape case might suffer
a set back because the present incumbent in Ms.Sen's post might not
dare take that initiative as Sen considering her fate.Mamata took
this decision deliberately to defy public sentiment as well a section
of press that is highly critical of some of her activities and
illogical utterances.In fact, it betrays her egoistic attitude.

It may be pointed out during Left Front regime Prasun Mukherjee, the
then Commissioner of Police had to relinquish his post under the
pressure of public and media as well in view of his unwanted remark
in Rizwanur Rahaman's death case.Incidentally, Mamata Banerjee who was
then in opposition lent her full throated support to the demand to
remove Commissioner of Police from his position.But now public
opinion to have Damayanti Sen to continue in her present position to
pusue the Park Street rape case has been more hounered in defiance by
Miss.Banerjee as a Chief minister.

However, if Damayanti sen were transferred to a post that is more
challenging than the present one, it could have been a consolation
that she's atleast received appreciation for her skill and efficiency
as a police officer.But her present posting as DIG(training) at
Barrackpore might send a wrong signal to people that she's been
tranferred to a position of lesser cosequence as she proved
Miss.Banerjee wrong in Park street rape case.

Dream will come true?

Mamata and Media:
It's no denying the fact many acts of omissions and commissions of the Left front govt and arrogance of its leaders and cadres brought about its fall.Another factor that mostly contributed to end Left rule was the decision of the Left to pull out support from the central govt and make an unsuccessful attempt to topple it.As a result TMC and Congress unitedly fought the Left in Assembly polls.But the third factor that was in no way less important than the earlier ones was the role of media.Since Nandigram episode both print and electronic media made all out attack on the LF govt.No doubt govt deserved such onslaught from Press.But the Press was far less mild in its criticism of Mamata Banerjee when she staged dharna totally blocking Durgapur express way for as many as thirteen days.Press was equally soft with Miss.Banerjee when she insisted on return of 400 acre of land to the so called unwilling farmers from Nano project site. Mamata Banerjee's sustained agitation and her continued adherence to her demand for return of land ultimately drove Tatas out Of Bengal with their automobile project after ninety percent of work done to Gujarat.She made her demand a prestige issue rather than consider the interest of the state.What's more even after frustrating a near complete project Miss. Banerjee didn't draw flak from press the way she deserved.What's very interesting is media continually spewed venom on the Left( however, the Left deserved it) making them villain and extended full-throated support to Miss Banerjee. Primarily, Left's lapses and media support combine brought Mamata in power with absolute majority.It should be reckoned with Mamata's sustained efforts backed up by unfailing media support made her a charismatic leader.It'd not be an over statement Mamata was sometimes pampered by media.

After Mamata came to power media were all- praise for her almost from day one.Her every movement was monitored and generously lauded.Normally during honeymoon period Press maintains a good relation with the ruling party.But in this case the relation was too good.Now Mamata has fallen from grace of a section of press,of course for her own fault and is sometimes subjected to scathing criticism.As a pampered child can't tolerate any body's criticism, may it be for his or her good, similar is the case with Mamata. Her ears are tuned to listen to praise only from the obsequious press.So any criticism sound cacophonous to her.As the all powerful leader of her party and govt where other members,even ministers, are practically non entity,it's no wonder she'd have intolerant mind-set that breeds authoritarian attitude.So when criticised she sees red and behaves irrationally.She often makes unbridled utterances that put her on the spot.She hardly reverses her decision or withdraws her comments even made inadvertently.It hurts her ego.These are all authoritarianism syndromes.Her win in every battle (mostly one-sided) with the Center has made her all the more confident that hers is the last word.

What's very interesting is her entourage are sometimes more aggressive than her perhaps to curry favour with her.In recent press censorship issue Sisir Adhikari's statement and the most arrogant body language is a case in point. Intolerance and confrontational attitude of ruling party has vitiated the political ambiance of the state and adversely affected the developmental activities govt has under taken.Pepole brought this govt with massive mandate to see Poribatan(change) and expected peace and tranquility would prevail and ruling party and the opposition would work in tandem for the progress of the state.But they are already disillusioned to a great extent.Nevertheless we hope, may it be hoping against hope, good sense would dawn on the ruling party and real Poribartan that we dreamt of would usher in.

Small is Beautiful!

They say Small is Beautiful. Didi also finds beauty in small.So it's no wonder Didi would recommend only small news papers for public reading in govt aided libraries.She claims it's a 'small' decision..She actually means it's the 'beautiful' decision of her Ma, Mati and Manus govt.Didi also believes as the big fishes deavour the small ones,similarly big news papers engulf the small ones.It means small news papers are neglected in presence of big ones in libraries.If the leading dailies are removed from the reading rooms of public libraries readers would be left with no choice but to read small and lesser circulated news papers and thus they would gradually develop the habit of reading these dailies.That apart,the monetary allocation of public libraries is so limited it can't afford funds to buy big news papers which are costlier than small ones.What's more, to stand by big publishing houses of news dailies is as good as carrying coal to Newcastle.However, Times of India is only an exception and inclusion of Ajkaal indiactes Didi is above Dalatantra as the latter is supposed to believe in Left ideology.

Perhaps, Didi believes the small papers promote free thinking while big papers badly influence and vitiate people's mind against the establishment.In that sense these dailies are out and out anti- people and duly merit total boycott.Govt should launch awareness program to teach people which books or newspapers they should read and which not.This attempt would be made to allay the prevailing confusion in people's psyche against the govt..Not only that big papers grandiosely promote consumerism and make the gullible 'Ma' & 'Manus' of our 'Mati' greedy and corrupt.

Some people clamour that govt has stopped or minimised offering ads to small news papers and it has put them in sheer financial constraints.In fact, it's wrongly interpreted by the detractors of the present govt.It has been done only to give them opportunity to struggle with poverty and ultimately stand on their own leg.It's Darwinian theory of 'survival of the fittest'.