For nearly two years, the state has been turned into a theatre of the absurd. Mamata Banerjee, who coined the slogan “Ma, Mati, Manush” (Mother, Motherland and People) has dismissed every rape incident as “concocted” and labelled each rape survivor a “liar”, out to “malign” the state government. Villagers are rudely shut up when they appeal to her with their problems; political opposition (whether from the Communist Party of India (Marxist) – CPI(M) or the Bharatiya Janata Party) is accused of “conspiring” to murder her; questions posed to her are labelled “Maoist questions” leading to the bewildered questioner being heckled, rebuffed or even arrested as a “Maoist”; peaceful protests are seen as “threats” to her life, and protesters are arrested or branded as “Maoists”. In fact, the small band of actual Maoists in Bengal had never had it so good, credited with the apparently overwhelming support of a wide cross-section of people on virtually every issue! The police intelligence looks miserably incompetent, with the chief minister left to herself to spot the Maoist or CPI(M) supporter lurking in every village or street gathering to kill her. In fact, this reporter heard people at the rally joking with each other, “So what are you, Maoist or CPM? Choose your colour!” Rajashri Dasgupta In EPW epw.in/states/when-maoists-took-over-streets-kolkata.html
Posted on: Wed, 17 Jul 2013 12:36:11 +0000
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