By Rahul Dixit
The clashes between activists of Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and West Bengal Police in Kolkata over the party’s protest march to the State Secretariat once again bring into focus the deteriorating social situation in the eastern State. Many parts of West Bengal had turned into a battlefield during BJP’s ‘Nabanna Abhijan’ (march to secretariat) that was organised to protest against the alleged corrupt practices of the ruling Trinamool Congress Party (TMC). The police action and the violent resistance to the BJP’s protest rally clearly show that the TMC is finding itself on a sticky wicket over the arrest of its key leaders and seizure of large swathes of unaccounted money by Central agencies. The worsening law and order situation in Bengal calls for a national debate and concrete action against the ruling dispensation before things spiral out of hand, like they did after the Assembly elections in 2021.
Since last year’s landslide win for Ms. Mamata Banerjee’s TMC, West Bengal has remained on the boil with regular incidents of political violence. The persecution unleashed by the criminal elements owing allegiance to the ruling party after the elections had shattered the soul of democracy in the State. So much so that the then Governor Mr. Jagdeep Dhankhar had to reach out to the victims all by himself and bring their plight to the world. There were enough indications that the violence against BJP supporters had the backing of the officialdom. It was pointed out by the High Court, too, which had called for a larger probe into the incident after the State Government kept on delaying investigation with a purpose. The aftermath of the violence had effected a major churning in the political scene in the State as leaders criss-crossed into parties they had chosen for the elections but dumped them after losses. Bengal has been living under a shadow of fear and violence since then and the latest clashes underline the State’s propensity for use of force to quell legitimate protests.
The TMC is totally rattled by the arrest of two of its prominent leaders Mr. Partha Chatterjee and Mr. Anubrata Mondal in various cases being probed by the Enforcement Directorate and the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI). There is huge concern in the Mamata kitchen-cabinet over the party’s public perception especially after regular seizure of unaccounted cash from premises and aides belonging to the TMC leaders. The cash appears to have been sourced through illegal means and is turning out to be a millstone around the TMC neck. The party is desperately trying to wash its hands off the unaccounted money and disowning the accused. That the efforts are not bearing any fruits is visible in the frustrated reactions of the TMC leadership starting from Madam Chief Minister!
While the BJP activists dared to challenge the ruling party, they were always aware of the repercussions. Yet, the way the TMC is running the State it was incumbent upon the Opposition to pose queries in a democratic manner. That the TMC is opposed to anything democratic was underlined by the police action on the BJP workers. The Opposition must keep cornering the Government and involvement of its leaders in fraudulent activities.
Battlelines have been drawn between the BJP and the TMC. Both are at loggerheads over the role of Central agencies but the legal questions arising in the matter have put the TMC in a tight spot. Hence the drastic reaction by the State machinery. The larger issue, therefore, is not the political rivalry between two parties but the gross misuse of authority by a government elected by the people and for the people. The TMC is distinctly failing in its duty of being a responsible caretaker of people. The unabated violence in all parts of the State, the influx of illegal immigrants from the porous borders, the incidents of smuggling and trafficking are all pointers of the State’s miserable handling of law and order situation. It is a direct threat to democracy, which the former Governor had been telling the world on his first-hand experience.
Violence, that too State-sponsored, is now no more an issue related to Bengal only. It should be a matter of concern for the entire country. Bengal is setting a dangerous precedent which can spread to other parts quickly. It is time for some hard measures.
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