HITLER DIDI-the U turn queen

I am not too big a fan of the idiot box-sitting long hours opposite a TV, shedding tears over the idiotic saas-bhahu humbug is just not my idea of entertainment. But yes, once in a while I do randomly flip through channels to see if there is something interesting on air. But more than often, the only show that I find worth watching after flipping through 117 channels available on my Tata Sky is WWE (World Wrestling Entertainment). I kind of love watching the funny looking over sized men (Being the Goody-goody types, I hurriedly change channels whenever the Divas, women wrestlers, come on screen) who act like spoilt kids trying to make the audience laugh at a school concert. Yes I know, its all idiotic but it does come from a box aptly named the idiot box.

A few days back while I was flipping through channels in between a contest featuring John Cena and Kane (it was supposed to be an ambulance match where the looser had to be packed off into the back of an ambulance), the title of a daily serial caught my eye which made me realize that it would be the best title for this particular article that I had been thinking of writing then. The title of that serial was “Hitler Didi”

Somehow this title is apt for this article when you consider this piece is being based on the impulsive, explosive, fiery and extremely unpredictable Chief Minister of West Bengal, Miss Mamata Banerjee.

Ever since she began her political career as the angry young women of Bengal politics, as the leader of the youth congress, she has been more popularly known as “Didi” – now that she is the boss of this beleaguered state, power seems to have gone to her head and now she appears to behave more like Hitler than beloved Didi she earlier was.

Banerjee, the much loved Didi before becoming the chief minister is now just the opposite of what she was earlier. Her words and actions today, as the Chief Minister seems to be just the opposite of what they were before she was crowned the empress of Bengal. The U – turn that she has taken have been of epic proportions. The same Miss Banerjee while in the  opposition had spear headed many a agitations leading to general strikes ( most of which ended up violent, leading to deaths and injuries) but now with her on the hot seat the same Miss Banerjee is now an advocate against bandhs, sermonizing that they do more bad than good. This changed stance may win her some brownie points with the Corporate World but this sudden change has certainly not gone unnoticed by the General Public and the Press. It shows her principles as being flexible hence rendering her reliability as suspect.  Threatening Government servicemen with “ break in service” in case of being on leave on the day the Left trade unions called a strike on 28^th of February certainly has not gone down well with the state government employees, hundreds of whom  had to rent hotel rooms or arrange for other accommodation just to be present in “office” during the strike. This was Didi being considerate towards her beloved brothers and sisters.

Didi’s U-turn is most signified by the killing spree by her men in the main land of Bengal. In the years that have gone by she had sold herself as a crusader against political killing or political vendetta. Having borne the brunt of the Left governments “goondagiri” in the last two decades, it was but expected that ‘Didi’ would show a more humane face- but she, it appears, is hell bent on giving it back harder than she had received.

The broad day light killing of former left front MLA Pradip Tah and his colleague, Gopal Gayer, at Dewandighi in Burdrwan District is a case to point. The two leaders, both in their late sixties, were beaten to death, while leading a protest rally, right in the center of the town. Thousand were witness to this brutal slaying.  Chotan Chakraborthy, Patitpaban Tah, Suji Tah and Gopal Goswami were seen by half the town as well as the media as being the perpetuators of this mindless killing. And everyone in the area knows them to be Didi’s men. Rather than condemning this ghastly act, the public was blamed for the same. ”The public had taken its revenge on the  34 years of misrule by the Left” was the verdict….. Taking age into consideration- Mamata Banerjee was not a “Didi” to these two senior citizens were were beaten to death but a “baini”- Didi or Baini whatever- she broke all those vows that an Indian sister takes to protect her brothers.

Lets forget about her brothers and come to her sisters- the women folk of West Bengal- The string of rape cases in her home state and her reactions to them haven’t made her too popular either. By branding most rape cases has been fabricated “to tarnish the image of the TMC led government”, her personal image is what is being tarnished. In one case Didi even went on to accuse a rape victim of fabricating the story on the behalf of her husband  whom she alleged was a CPM supporter. The fact is that the victim is actually a widow who lost her husband 11 years back…can anyone beat this!!!! And guess what? TMC had trumpeted the spectacular electoral victory of “Didi” in West Bengal as being a victory for all the women in the state. Such irresponsible statements from her have been several but Himalayan Times cannot afford another two pages to accommodate all of them here.

Lets come closer home now- mamatadi had with so much fan fare proclaimed that Darjeeling would be transferred into Switzerland.. noble intentions, one would be tempted to call this proclamation of hers. Sadly despite ten months elapsing since her grand announcement, Darjeeling is sliding further towards becoming another Congo or Somalia or Ethiopia, rather than transforming itself into Switzerland. This very column, ten months back, had asked if she had the resources, will and intentions to transform Darjeeling into Switzerland. I guess the pitiful condition of the NH55, filth and stench of Darjeeling town, the acute traffic problems, the crumbling tourists infrastructure, to name a few, answers the questions that this column had asked. Forget Switzerland- Darjeeling would be lucky if it continues breathing…

Her U turns have been many- the Maoist issue, the Railways, the FDI in retail, her dealing with Congress (I), her policy on public loans taken by the sate, her attitude towards investors into the state, the land  acquisition issues, on the GTA polls- all have experienced her yo-yo like swing in her policies. Bengal can only just hope that the yo-yo doesn’t snap into two.

Unfortunately, despite what the GJM may want us to believe, Darjeeling hills, (GTA or no GTA) is as much a part of this very  West Bengalas Midnapur or Purulia or Bakhura, which Hitler Didi treat as her Nazi-dom. So much for “maa” “mati” and the poor maanus” of West Bengal.

This definitely was not the “poriborthan” (change) the people of west Bengal had hoped for- we in Darjeeling can only just say- “SAME HERE TOO” but saying further would be injurious to my health and whatever little property I have, so let me withdraw my hand from this dangerous snake pit before its too late.