From Ashis Biswas
It seems her recent political setbacks have forced Trinamool leader Mamata Banerjee to ponder the value of modesty in public life.
Ever since the Singur and Nandigram agitations in 2007, Ms Banerjee has enjoyed a remarkably successful run that helped her realise her lifetime’s ambition — to become West Bengal’s Chief Minister. All through this long, exciting phase, nothing stalled her inexorable progress towards political power — the opprobrium of the people over her negative anti-industry agitation, her disruptionist, opportunist ways to discredit and defame her opponents, her highhandedness within her party and against the media. Success in the 2011 polls only further strengthened the strongly autocratic tendencies in her.
As a senior TMC MP once told newsmen, “Leaders of most parties, from Ms Jayalalithaa to Mr, Mulayam Singh Yadav to Mr. Navin Patnaik, generally ask their MPs or MLAs to speak out at party meetings, to discuss different issues. Sometime, they accept suggestions from others, or take decisions on their own.
“With us, it is different. There is only one leader who speaks. All others listen, as we are told what to do. Very seldom we are asked for our views, unless it is to confirm our leader’s version or decision. The TMC is a very disciplined party.”
Only once did Ms Banerjee make an exception to this routine. That was after her party’s defeat in the 2001 Assembly polls. So sure was she about a resounding win over the Left front that the day before the results were out, she had flashed a V sign to newsmen and asked them to meet her at the state Secretariat!
At the next party meet, where the mood was understandably grim, she asked others to speak out and analyse the reasons for the embarrassing defeat. And for what it was worth, she offered to resign — only to be vociferously assured by her faithful flock that win or lose, they would always be with her and under her leadership!
Cynics said that even this exercise had been part of an orchestrated effort to ensure that her leadership was not threatened, but they would not go on record!
Given this backdrop, last month (June 2012) was an unusually wretched period for Ms Banerjee. This was the month that saw her long successful political run broken with a bang , as she suffered two major embarrassing setbacks in close succession..
First, SP leader Mulayam Singh Yadav shattered her dreams of occupying national political centre-stage by his flip-flop over the Presidential polls. Second, her home base was threatened for the first time as the much publicised state legislation to return Singur land to the unwilling farmers was declared unconstitutional and invalid.
Expressions of remorse or showing embarrassment have been foreign to Ms Banerjee’s style — she never apologised for jeopardising West Bengal’s economic prospects by driving out the Tatas. But last month, pushed to the wall, she changed her style of functioning, a fact that went largely unnoticed in the Bengal-based media.
First, she returned quietly from Delhi to Kolkata even as the tussles over the President’s post continued, not having been invited to a crucial UPA II meeting. Once in Kolkata, she did not meet the media to take uncomfortable questions on her faux pas with Mulayam Singh, but carried on a political campaign — abortive, as it turned out — on the facebook. She has retreated from the national centre-stage, for now.
She had been staying away from State Assembly sessions, where in 13 months, according to opposition parties, she has not faced a single question, which must be an all India record for such tactics from an elected Chief Minister! Now, on her back foot, she attended some sessions off and on, even as the opposition alleged that she was “scared” of facing the house.
Carefully choosing to address the house when the opposition members had staged a walkout, Ms Banerjee announced her climb-down. First, she appealed to opposition members to join her government in demanding some financial assistance from the centre. Second, she appealed to the Congress not to join hands with the Left parties in a bid to weaken the state government!
“We are not sure that she is sincere in making such requests to the opposition parties, which, according to TMC leaders should be socially boycotted, not just politically opposed. Under her leadership, Left leaders and members of elected panchayats and other bodies have never been invited to district level official meetings. Now for her to ask for opposition help can only mean that she is in a political mess and fears for her own survival!” says a CPI(M) leader. The Left has cautiously promised to help, but on certain conditions.
As for the Congress, it has not formally responded to her appeal and criticised the Government’s failure to secure relief for the poor farmers of Singur. The question arises, what made Ms Banerjee climb off her high horse, the first time since 2001?
Observers feel that with Mr, Pranab Mukherjee gone, the new Finance Minister may not be as receptive as him in listening to Bengal’s financial woes. Never mind TMC allegations, Mukherjee has ensured some relief for the state by ensuring that rural development projects especially in Panchayat, irrigation and other departments were not stalled for lack of funds. He also helped the state overcome its massive river bank erosion problems by allotting central funds.
His successor may not have the time, patience or inclination to concentrate on the financial problems of one state only. Ms Banerjee is well aware of this and would now like to involve other Bengal-based parties too in her anti-Centre exertions. This would ensure a state-wide support for her, with four long years still left for the next scheduled assembly polls.
Again, there is talk of a cabinet reshuffle after the Presidential polls. In case the Railways portfolio goes to some other party than the TMC, even the ongoing projects in Bengal may not be completed in time. In a situation where the state’s economy is under severe strain, its industries struggling, these projects are about the only positive element in the state’s scenario. Once these are jeopardised, it could well be curtains for the TMC-led government.
As things stand therefore, it is advantage time for other parties vis-à-vis the TMC in Bengal, especially the Congress. The TMC’s headaches over Singur, it is clear, would continue to plague it for some more time. No wonder, even the high and mighty Mamata Banerjee is learning a new idiom, one of modesty and political accommodation. (IPA)