The Goebbelsian propaganda machinery of BJP, which has invested its Himalayan efforts to repackage Narendra Modi as a ‘Mahamanav'(Super human) despite Corona Virus unleashing an unprecedented death and destruction across India, was the vindication of the hubristic presumption on the part of BJP that, no matter people might continue to die like flies, Prime Minister continues to remain invincible with his ‘Mahamanav’ image still intact. Ironically, all that propaganda image stands shattered by a single stroke of Mamata Banerjee: The invincible Mahamanav bubble of Narendra Modi has burst. No wonder while Mamata has emerged as Durga, in the wake of vanquishing Modi, Indian democracy despite its historic decline, is bound to emerge stronger.
Vivekanand jha, Ranchi. Finally the election result of much awaited West Bengal Election is out: ‘Jay Bangla’ has trumped ‘ Jai Shri Ram’. But then the moot question that the landslide victory of Mamata Banerjee engenders is this: Has Shri Ram really lost with the victory of Mamata and defeat of Modi, for BJP fought this election on the plank of ‘ Jai Shri Ram Ram’, presuming all this while that Shri Ram was their personal fiefdom; they had patented their exclusive right over Shri Ram, so as to claim a loftier platform itself, stood shattered in no time: The electorate has given a clear cut verdict: Shri Ram does not belong to its claimants who, far from venerating Him, were actually involved in a cheap trade off: The selling off Shri Ram for cheap votes, by way of a quid pro quo, proved to be the curse for the BJP and its leaders. Further, the voters of West Bengal, have made it amply clear that, Shri Ram, the Maryada Purushottam, the soul of Bharatvarsha, belongs to one and all, more to them who silently revere Him, rather than those who make a show of Him, by whipping public sentiment in invoking Him, yet privately doing everything to desecrate and undermine Him.
The first instance of such an open humiliation of Shri Ram, by virtue of making a public spectacle of the same, was adequately ostensible when Narendra Modi, putting to shreds all the advices tendered to him by Shankaracharyas, the highest authorities on Hindu religion, had clearly laid down that very Bhoomie Poojan was not sanctioned by scriptures. Notwithstanding the scriptural injunction, Narendra Modi, the new messiah, hell bent upon re-writing a new saga of Hindu conquest, the advent of Hindu nationalism in the polity spearheaded by him, sought to superimpose his name over the real crusader, real hero: obliterating the name of the man of the Ayodhya Movement, Shri Lal Krishna Advani, whose foot soldier Modi himself was, given a short shrift in no time. Bhoomie poojan became an exhibition of Modi’s exclusive showmanship. Thus, Modi self-patted himself for being the architect of re-construction of Ramjanmabhoomie and consequently set in motion his grand plan of Ashwamedh Yajna to become an invincible emperor of India.
West Bengal General Election in 2019 provided BJP with an opportunity to emerge even a bigger winner. Also, BJP figured out, especially in the context of Modi’s invincibility, to mount a direct challenge to Mamata, for defeating Mamata was considered as a pre-requisite for Modi’s vindication of 56 inch chest and his unquestioned leadership sans any opposition. Small wonder then BJP, throwing all the norms of governance to winds, invested their sweat and blood to further their agenda of enhancing their footprints across the length and breadth of India. Regrettably, Prime Minister, misplacing his own priorities where saving the lives of the citizens dyeing like flies amidst the enveloping crisis from the pandemic Corona, took the inevitable back seat, while the conquest of West Bengal assumed an unprecedented preference. Significantly, the commutation of Prime Minister, Home Minister and other cabinet ministers between New Delhi and Kolkata, became the talk of the nation. Intriguingly, the Union Government, suspending its good sense and valued judgment, reconciled to putting all its eggs in one basket: displacing Mamata from Nabanna. In this context, against his own public pontification, Modi began the flagrant violation of his own prescription: ‘ Jab tak dabai nahi, tab tak dhilai nahi’. Ostensibly, while addressing a massive public gathering in Assansole, Prime Minister had self-patted his back when he had infamously said, ‘ Yah Mera Saubhagya hai'(This is my big fortune) In fact, BJP left no stone unturned, in its endeavours to upset Mamata’s applecart by raining, men, technology and resources. With Modi convening 12 public meetings, Amit Shah, going bonkers on his way to unsettle Modi, held almost 62 public meetings. Worse still, BJP, taking recourse to such invectives like calling Mamata as ‘ Begum’, finally misfired. Also, the defection engineered within Trinammol, by the formidable BJP, with such stalwarts like mukul Roy, Arjuna Singh before 2019, and Subendu Adhikari and others later, finally drew blank, with even Subendu losing his traction with the voters in Nandigram. Didi emerged victorious from there.
Significantly, Prime Minister’s taunting Mamata Banerjee in public meetings: ‘ Didi O Didi’, taking repeated potshots at the chief minister, agitated the general people inviting revulsion from one and all. ‘ Would the Prime Minister have shown such a condescending attitude towards a lady who held the highest political position of the state?’, people disconcertingly questioned. Especially when Prime Minister and his government, had been evincing an overwhelming pride in empowering women, reviling and degrading a dignified lady, indicts Modi and BJP in no ambiguous terms. This, unequivocally, caused a heart burn among the common mass of people which resulted in the landslide in favour of Didi.
Interestingly, BJP finally ended with an egg at his face: The systematic game plan of polarising the society along with religious lines, too met with a fiasco. Apparently, the confidence of BJP rose to crescendo, when Adhikari had sought to give the voters a religious colour: 70:30. Further, inundating the landscape of West Bengal with multiple temptations: buying votes, tempting the electorate with the prospect of ushering in an industrialization, double engine Sarkar and Asol Parivartan, failed to yield any desired dividend. However in contrast, Mamata was severely handicapped by the mass exodus of Trinammol leaders into BJP. No wonder the string of schemes unfolded by Prashant Kishor like: ‘Didi kay bolo’, ‘ Duare Sarkar’ and then coining the slogan ‘ Bangla nijer mae Kay chae’, the latter provoking Amit Shah to shot back: ‘ Beti paraya dhan hota hai’, evoked an outcry from the feminists. Nonetheless, with the BJP trying to intimidate a woman politician leading from the front, pitted as she was against the collective might of the BJP, finally ended with an egg at its face.
Indeed the overwhelming message that this election outcome does convey is this: Indian democracy, which has been sinking rapidly, with institutional erosion reaching a culminating point, the victory of Trinammol does send an encouraging signal: The break was put on the hitherto triumphant march of BJP with its invincible mascot. That the BJP had let loose the constitutional bodies like Election Commission, in its ‘do and die’ battle with Trinammol, is another indication that the people’s will is supreme in democracy where even the deluge of money and men seldom enable the party to secure a victory. The outcome of West Bengal election vindicates. Further, the election result offers a salutary lesson to the Prime Minister: changing face with elections hardly matters. Modi’s striking resemblance with Gurudev Tagore, failed to convince Bengalese about Modi’s sincere admiration for Tagore. Moreover, the invocation of Bengali greats like Swami Vivekananda, Subhas Chandra Bose and Tagore failed to convincethe electorate about BJP venerating the Bengali Asmita.
The landslide victory of Trinammol where the party has already won 219 seats, significantly seeks to revive the deteriorating face of India’s democracy. Especially when Modi’s Ashwamedha was purportedly seen to be emerging triumphant in West Bengal. Regrettably, the Brshmaastra of ‘ polarisation of polity, giving a colour of religion, between Hindu and Muslim, failed against Trinammol’s strategic slogan of ‘ Bengali versus Bahari’, and ‘ Bangali nijer mae kay Chahay’. Significantly, West Bengal has shown a way out of the current impssse: winning elections on the basis of Hindu-Muslim divide. Further, the comprehensive victory of Trinammol will revive the moribund opposition, with Biplabi Mamata as the face of opposition. Moreover, the ongoing Covid 19 already depleting India’s prestige in the world community, with Modi’s plummeting stock across India becoming a stark reality, it is the time the opposition should join hands to ask questions to the government. Hence in this backdrop, the resurgent Mamata should mount a challenge to Modi’s leadership by extending her influence beyond West Bengal. Didi in 2021 has won hatrick, will she prevent Modi from following suit at the national level in 2024, is the million dollar’s question. However, she has proven the fact with her huge victory that she has burst the invincibility of the so-called ‘ Modi bubble’.
