MAMATADEBI, YOU CAN DO IT… An open letter to the Chief Minister of Bengal

      Smt. Mamatadebi,

 Congratulations, for taking oath for the third consecutive term as the Chief Minister of Bengal, to preserve the federal state’s democratic governance with honesty, sincerity and dedication.

 Bengal has vanquished communalism cultivated by the BJP. In your own words, it is an inclusive “victory of Bengal people, victory of the country, victory of democracy”. As you yourself have said rightly, “Bengal saved India today”, it confirms “what Bengal thinks today, India thinks tomorrow.” This victory has significance for all the Indian secular parties, struggling to stop the RSS-fed regressive ideology and communal juggernaut.

 You have emerged more strongly as a pragmatic, a down-to-earth politician, to lead Bengal and ultimately the nation. Having pushed back divisive politics, you have held up, as in Gopalkrishna Gandhi’s words, India’s “secular ethos, democratic resilience”. He called you Mamatadebi in his congratulatory message (The Telegraph, 3^rd May 2021). You are ready now to ground fight against a vicious polarised ideology with a strong democratic ideology of AITC (if there is any), while discharging your constitutional responsibility by pledging to protect everyone, appeasing no one. Remember, all communities have helped you to govern Bengal for the third time despite the violation of ethical electioneering by the Centre with all its power, machineries and resources. Your ‘politics of populism’, the multi-faceted welfare schemes and Prashant Kishore’s I-PAC strategy, together have given you the people’s mandate. You have with you the success to show once more on the development and governance fronts.

 Bengal’s inclusive socio-cultural and pluri-religous heritage, enriched by the past and present luminaries, must be saved by all means.  Before everything else, it is time now to handle the Covid-19 pandemic crisis effectively, otherwise, your government will surely be crippled by its gross mismanagement of the second wave of the Covid-19, as it did to that of Modi’s.

 This election has been "a victory of Bengal's tigress." The AITC is built on the sheer energy of you and it revolves around you. What be it, kindly, follow the philosophy of Raj dharma. More than a hype, your humility will save from any mistake you make on the way. For example, as an administrator you follow the culture of ‘welfarism’ and the ‘politics of populism’ with no long-term plan to consolidate the state economy through development projects. Besides, everyone knows, you have an allegedly pro-Muslim stance (if not all minorities in the same measure!).

 As a Banglar meye, a native, protect all of us from all ‘evils’ that prowl around, and provide us with courage and strength, to live in peace and harmony. Keep Bengal united. And for this, here below are the DOs and DON’Ts that I recommend you to follow:

 

DOs :

 

1.      Put the systemic administration right, with law and order: stop all post-poll violence and acts that inflict deaths and distress in many families, and divide communities.

2.      Let the Police do their job independently, do not patronize them. Bring back law and order in the state, immediately.

3.      Initiate an urgent process and plan through the party decision, to tackle the Covid pandemic, straightaway. Handle the pandemic crisis with firm hands, bur with a nursing heart.

4.      The democratic nature of Bengal has to overcome ‘political repression’ right from the start of your third term of governing.

5.      Be aware of widespread discontent against the Trinamul at the grassroots level; an anti-incumbency trend mostly around the local Trinamul leaders and units; disaffection with Trinamul syndicates, extortions, commission cuts, dadas, mastans (musclemen) and other anti-socials. 

6.      Curb the syndicates, dangabaji and goondagiri at every level.

7.      Clean up your party and the government; stop all kinds of corruption, coercion, criminality and mismanagement by your tier-leaders at various levels, starting from the ‘grassroot.’

8.      Close all bomb-gun-factories in Bengal, and stop all smuggling of arms from outside.

9.      Get rid of the scam tainted party leaders and other corrupt colleagues around you.

10.  Personally take care to stop the bribe (cut-money) which has become a part of the political culture of Bengal.

11.  Create a cadre-based party machinery that is committed (with the educated young), a coherent and consistent ideology integrated with values and principles, and collaborative leadership so that the party may not disintegrate. 

12.  Work for the dignity and rights of the people in Bengal, upholding each culture, tradition and practice, for the state is for everyone - irrespective of creed and caste.

13.  Encourage inter-faith dialogue, social friendship and fraternal solidarity.

14.  Be more sensitive to all inter-faith and all-inclusive sentiments. 

15.  Uphold the secular and moral values of Bengal to make this ‘Sonar Bangla’ truly a Pluralist society.

16.  Bring out the best of Bengal’s unifying socio-cultural traditions.

17.  Work with logic and systemic approach, through the SWOT strategy, having a Goal, Objective, Action Plan, and above all a Mission. Learn from Prashant Kishore’s I-PAC strategists.

18.  Be a credible leader for Bengal and a model of governance to the nation.

19.  Stop for good, the Hindutva juggernaut with a clear alternative ideology-based policy.

20.  Unify all non-BJP parties, initiate more welfare outreach, encourage Bengal’s pluralistic multi-cultural identity against the communal Hindutva and social polarization.

21.  Uplift the subalterns : ST, SC, OBC, Dalits, etc.

22.  Have a mix of compassion, sympathy, confidence with the heart of a servant-leader.

23.  Revive the educational culture of Bengal through standard institution of learning with monitored quality teaching and good infrastructure.

24.  Build up a Centre-friendly government, with win-win attitude for the common development of the state.

25.  Place yourself at the forefront of truth, honesty, humility and simplicity.

26.  Deliver on the promises you make.

27.  Form a new team of lieutenants for the future, following the APP model of volunteer- cadre system, delivering on governance and dealing with corruption from the very grassroot level.  

28.  You are Mamatadebi for all sections of society, especially women and the vulnerable groups, and therefore, continue to work for the people.

29.  You need to do course corrections too, keeping away personal ‘ego’   and work as a team.

30.  As a dominant "agent of national political change", first vow to make Bengal Mission a success.

31.  Save democracy, for the people of Bengal have reposed their trust in you for your grit to fight the central authoritarianism.  

32.  Let your heart continue to appeal to the emotion and hearts of its people. We shall then reciprocate positively.

33.  Cultivate a culture around the basic norms of civility that Bengal holds dear.

34.  Use the media assiduously to hammer out your vision and an action plan.

  

DON’Ts :

 

1.      Do not indulge into toxic politics of communal polarization, and the politics of caste. Though, through the politics of regional pride and social welfare, you have tried to limit such polarisation.

2.      Do not allow your grassroot leaders to use threat tactics and take law in their hands in connivance with the local police. 

3.      Do not prevent the local Thanas to work independently and keep law and order in the region.

4.      Do not fall prey to the religious polarization policy of the BJP; shed Hindutva pitch and practice to prove your Hindu identity to the people, in order to win them over.

5.      Do not allow the inclusive cultural heritage of Bengal to be destroyed by the BJP’s alien Hindutva invasion.

6.      Do not do politics of ‘tokenism’, doling out just a superficial ‘pleasing taste’. Instead, maintain your appeal as a strong and honest administrator, giving the best you can.

7.      Do not dissatisfy the intellectual cultural elite and the learned of Bengal. Neither should you divide them.

8.      Do not lure non-party intellectuals and activists in Bengal, who are against the BJP that is trying to tear apart the secular fabric of Bengali society with its Hindutva ideology. Respect them as being the conscience of the people and allow their free thinking and expressions in various forms. Then only, secularism will be safe in Bengal and in India.

9.      Do not do minority/clubs-appeasement, with Puja bonus, money, footballs and such freebees. Serve all the 91 million people of Bengal. 

10.  Do not do something that your people will revolt against. We deserve an honest politician and a good leader in you.

11.  Do not allow your ministers and party leaders to make illegal money either for the party or self (e.g. alleged Coal scam, Cow scam, Cut-money, Sarada, Narada, etc.).

12.  Never allow any attempt from anyone/party to polarise Bengal along religious lines.

13.  Never allow your enemy to succeed. Get the first wind of any defection drive and stop it immediately.

14.  Do not fall into nepotism and appeasement politics. Respect all the party leaders equally.

15.  Do not create a cult figure invincibility for blind followers/partymen and women.

16.  Don’t be too impulsive, while working by instinct, discern well for the decisions to be made.

17.  Do not be ‘cheap’ in your speeches. Invest time and preparation, integrated with more ‘stuff’ that are built on reason and are capable to convince the listeners through progressive thinking. Let them not be unorganized ‘freebees’, but stuff (Derek O’Brien’s Model) that the listeners remember for long. Keep the dignity of statesmanship.

 

 Developmental Schemes for Poriborton:

 ‘Poribortan’ (change), your first term election slogan, won you the confidence and approval of the people. Today we have seen and experienced development taking place in villages, towns and cities of Bengal. Some schemes initiated by your government had its impact and helped increase people’s confidence that you are for the people. Therefore, follow this:

    1.      Make sure that all the schemes that are introduced, reach to the really deserving. Stop your local leaders from extorting cut-money from the financial and construction schemes or from other charitable groups.

2.      With a compassionate heart for the poor, kindly continue with the many schemes meant for them, reform some with effectiveness, and introduce new ones.

3.      Implement and complete with honesty and transparency all the schemes (central and state) that are sanctioned.

4.      Build infrastructures for income and employment generation, through industrialisation. Get land for it.

5.      Do not keep ministers who are non-performers in your cabinet. Do not keep those convicted in various cases, as mere representations.

6.      Make district  and panchayat administration totally  transparent,  to oversee the implementation of the projects: The National Food Security Act, Shabuj Sathi, Kanyashree,  Ruposhree, Rural Development, Drinking water connection, Duare Sarkar, Didike bolo, SC/ST/OBC/BPL certificate distribution, etc.

 

 Save the Nation: 

 The pandemic has turned traumatic. The alleged gross failures of Modi’s administrative management of the second wave of Covid were reflected in the West Bengal mandate. It is time to transcend the state politics, and save the nation from the pandemic crisis. Besides, with your national profile and popularity of ‘Bengal tigress’, you are destined to play a major role in the unity of all regional forces in the country. The time is now, to work towards co-operative federalism. As your victory has given a “fresh lease of life” to multi-party democratic traditions, try to build a formidable political force in the country with the help of the regional parties to fight the BJP hegemony at the Centre. 

 The divided non-BJP opposition parties in India, are looking towards you with a lot of hope. I hope other leaders in India wake up to your cry of preventing the democratic edifice from collapsing. Let your appeal for a ‘national democratic/federal front’ be realized in order to save India from destructive forces, particularly the BJP with its RSS ideology. It is a mandate on you and your co-parties, to head a government of 1.4 billion people living in 31 federal states and union territories. It is high time, that you bring yourself as the leader of the 'united federal front' to take on the BJP in 2024, along with all the regional party leaders, including Congress. Let others give up their ego and accept your leadership, and fight Modi-Shah at national level. As a spirited politician and a “Bengal Tigress”, you are most suited to replace all other aspiring unfit leaders, like Rahul Gandhi.

 Remember, this is a battle for safeguarding the socio-cultural soul of India, starting with that of Bengal, as the BJP has already alloyed Hinduism with subaltern castes and extracted ‘pound of flesh’ out of it. A hate-filled communal politics of BJP to transform India into a Hindu rashtra, will be bad for our society, our Constitution and the Indian Republic. You will have to get into the national battle field, bringing about a better socio, political and cultural changes while safeguarding the plurality and diversity of India.   Please, put a stop to the “transition to a constitutionally proclaimed ‘Hindu Nation’.” Be brave O Mamatadebi with your common touch to foil this game plan. Satyameva Jayate.

 Conclusion:

 As the symbol of “Ma-Mati-Manush”, you will have to be Bengal’s collective consciousness to uphold its rich social, cultural and religious heritage; to support secularism and save democracy. To be so, kindly retain your internal coherence when so many others enter and exit, and reduce contradictions. Smt. Mamatadebi, if you are inspired by the ideals of St. (Mother) Teresa of Calcutta, allow her compassion and love shine through your political services in Bengal. Let this be the victory of freedom for the most downtrodden and the marginalized.

 As you refuse to be defeated by destructive powers with self-confidence, you need to bow down before the Divine-connector. Remember, One-Woman rule can lead the state/nation from one misjudgment to another, from one tragedy to another. Never make arbitrary decisions, instead listen to others’ views too. All your party leaders must shed their arrogant behaviors.  With your simple, sincere and frugal lifestyle, and with acknowledging your limitations, you can continue to conquer the hearts of millions in India.

 Nobody in the recent party politics has such energy, grit, and presence as you have. You remain a loved and trusted leader.  Your leadership will define the trajectory of democracy in this country. Bengal is the critical milestone to where we are headed as a nation. It will mean the difference between India retaining the vibrancy of a multi-party democracy. Therefore, taking along all stakeholders, your associates and advisers, you will have to offer, - other than a toxic mix of religion and hyper-nationalism - a secular, federal, democratic and republic India to all its citizens.  Let this Khela (game) go on…

 Yours sincerely,

A common citizen of Bengal