Bengal has a party problem. What do we mean? Read on....
Socialist wave swept India during Independence. Examples of a just society flamed imaginations. India is the only country in the world where we have democratically elected Communist governments. Of the two states where Communist ideology is strongly rooted - Kerala and Bengal - Bengal hold sway due to the size of the state and 34 years of unbroken rule.
But communism is based on a concept of monopoly politics rather than free thoughts. Therefore, though democratically elected they had to maintain power through systematic destruction of the state and people till both are completely dependant on the common party. Decent was ruthlessly crushed, trade unions became militant and society lawless. Only fear can rule for ever.
It took all but 34 years of deplete the wealth of the state in more ways than one. On its knees and no where to go the people sought change. TMC rode the waves of change. It came to power. But what changed. Nothing! Monopoly is the only way people have learned to function.
So, once again, TMC set about repeating history. Why reinvent the wheel, after all? Old wisdom is better than new ideas. The old way of working is tried and tested and made essentially fail proof. But was there really ever a TMC? May be a few thinkers who believed in higher purpose and better way of working. But who are the majority of the workers and party members. They are all ex-CPI-M party members and politicians riding the bandwagon of TMC in hope of monetary and political rewards.
The people didn't change, the ideology didn't change, just the nametags changed. Bengal is not longer a hotbed of political thinking. There is no longer fiery discourses on issues. It is just a collection of migrant people moving from party to party in the hope of rewards.
Post the Lok Sabha elections and with the BJP coming to power with an overwhelming majority, the same history is repeating itself. The migration is now from TMC and CPI-M to the BJP. What is the change? Has culture of violent politics have a change of heart? Has a better work culture set in? No!
After all is said and done, CPI-M may never come back to power, but their legacy of monopoly politics is here to stay for generations.
Nature of sinusoidality pervades socio-political lives as well. Post the Naxal era followed by brutality of emergency ensured a generation - gap in Bengal. " Barga aain" ( Land Reforms) with non-retaliation policy of Jyoti Basu was God-sent to people of Bengal. They carried them thru - for 34 years. But silently Bengal was deprived of benefits of info-tech revolution, opening up the Economy, ... . Corruption invaded CPM " (beno jol). Time was ripe for "Poriborton" ! And Didi was, undoubtedly, the crusader against a paralysed ricketted CPM. One Woman Army. High hopes, rhetorics and euphoria. Then what ??? All emptiness? Lack of ideology, adhocism, indiscipline, .... true colour of "beno jol" .... Cupboard was too small to hide all skeletons. Result - total misgovernance and failure in every aspect. Modi raised a hope for the Nation - by demonstrating success and governance thru his 12 years CM ship in Gujarat. Bengal today desperately needs a clone of Modi ad CM. Anyone in sight ?
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