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West Bengal: The mess become murkier Shibani Dasgupta  Who
would have imagined that in the bastion of the communists there would
food riots? This has happened to the eternal shame of the Left
government of West Bengal. Add to it the the gruesome murder of young
Rizwanur Rahman and one might be forgiven for thinking that he was in a
saffron ruled state. The Left parties are taking a huge beating and they
need to be doing more than what they seem to be doing if they are to
regain some lost ground.Be it the death of graphic artist Rizwanur Rahman or the killings of struggling villagers of Nandigram in Midnapur district or riots in protest against non availability of rations meant for below poverty-line citizens, several sectors in West Bengal are in a mess that cannot be shrugged away. The state has been in an unseemly turmoil since the middle of September 07 following the death (suspected suicide) of the settled in Kolkata Rahman who had married the multi-millionaire business man Ashok Todi's daughter Priyanka just four weeks prior to his death. Clear indications that middle level officers of Calcutta Police anti goonda squad were involved in threatening the couple and intimidating them, paint a gruesome picture and at the same time indicates that whatever government is in power in a state, police and law and order agencies remain open to manipulation. It also gave the lie to the secular credentials of West Bengal claims, over the years where language has remained the binding factor. After a series of ups and downs over the weeks in which the state government, the chief minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharya and even Communist Party of India (Marxist) strong man Jyoti Basu were heard loud and clear, assuring of punishment to the guilty, things are back to square one leading to embarrassment and loss of face to these leaders. The top brass at Lal Bazar, the police headquarters Kolkata have taken a beating as the reputation of Kolkata Police finds a place in the dust. Police Commissioner Prasun Mukherjee whose continuation in the present post was in grave doubt after his force interfered in the inter-religious marriage of consenting adults, had to rush to Delhi and meet Home Ministry officials to clear his position. The Rahman family, consisting of an elder brother, grieving mother and sisters did not make things easier for the state government in any way. The aged mother initially refused to meet the Chief Minister, who was keen to assure her that given some time, he would see that justice was done. It is not yet clear that Chief Minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharya has been able to succeed in his damage control exercise over the Rizwanur-Priyanka wedding and the mauling it gave to the hitherto invincible Left government. West Bengal High Court order ruling CBI to investigate is another embarrassment. Along with this is the slur cast on the CPI(M) led Left government in West Bengal, is the banana-peel slip on the issue of acquiring land for industrialization in the state namely in Singur and Nandigram, in Midnapur. Rationing of food commodities had been introduced in the state some forty years ago or more and till date in the rural areas, it is stark and bitter reality that has not met any change. Not much was done by way of a check -back on the system. Most times if one remembers right about one's childhood days, ration distribution centres in Kolkata and its outskirts used to remain closed more than 26 days in a month and by the end of the second day of the shops' remaining open, stocks of basic food grain - paddy or rice, kerosene oil for public distribution at controlled prices would have "run out" or become "out of stock". May be the burden of patience on the poor man's back has now broken and food riots have begun in districts like Murshidabad, Burdwan Nadia and Bankura. Reports about ration dealers committing suicide in the wake of food riots are also reaching police stations and Writers' Building the state administration secretariat. Clearly, the tendency of the lower levels of bureaucracy to turn a Nelson's eye to the misdeeds of ration shop owners, is not going to be tolerated any more, it is a well known and accepted fact that ration meant for the BPL population has more often than not, found its way illegally in the open market. There is virtually no indication that punitive or preventive action has been attempted against the mischief-makers. Most certainly, it is not a feather in the Left government's cap. Before the Rizwanur matter came into public focus and non availability of food articles at ration shops caught fire, land acquisition for industrialization in the state was the burning issue, of which Trinamool Congress leader Ms. Mamta Banerjee was the authoress and lead actress. The CPI(M) reputation took a serious beating then too. While one feels concerned about the present Chief Minister's genuine attempts to take the state forward industrially, the situation as it emerges indicates that the state has gotten used to slothful, undisciplined ways of the earlier dispensations of CPI(M). Very clearly, the state and the political basses at the lower levels are unwilling to give up their lazy, irresponsible way and choose to mire in inactivity, small time corruption that have shackled the state to economic distress. | |
