Friday, January 30, 2009

Painter of political angst

Mamata Banerjee, TNC MP, Kolkata

When Marxist grandmaster Jyoti Basu called her a ‘420’ (cheat, as per Indian criminal law), she shouted back at him: “840!” None would dare do that excepting the political tornado from West Bengal, Mamata Banerjee. And she dared because she knew where she came from, for despite her strange and often obnoxious ways of handling political situations,Mamata Banerjee, TNC MP, Kolkata her honesty has not been jeered at even by her worst critic.

Take 30 B Harish Chatterjee Street, which is practically a lane that reflects the picture of (d)rain-washed Kolkata during every monsoon. At a turn inside the lane stands a humble cottage. The only hint of pride about the cottage is three Trinamool Congress flags. Despite having risen from here to hold many ministries at the Centre, Mamata Banerjee still lives there, still the same humble sari costing a maximum of Rs 300, still the youthful waving of hands, and still the lone voice of protest against a reign of Red terror in the state. And even now she delights eating muri (puffed rice, not really a rich man’s delicacy).

Be it Nandigram or Brigade Parade Ground in Kolkata – her pictures are everywhere. Banerjee has always enjoyed an extra ounce of popularity, which is the lethal weapon she deployed to defeat Marxist Goliath Somnath Chatterjee to win the Jadavpur Lok Sabha seat in 1984. In 1996, she confirmed that those who praised her as Banglar Agnikanya (spitfire lady from Bengal), were not exaggerating. Despite being a minister herself, she lashed out at her own government on the petroleum price hike issue. Party leader Partha Chatterjee says, “I’ve never seen Didi wearing a sari that costs more than Rs 200. I’ve seen her taking muri with her even when she has to fly to the US! Isn’t that incredible!”....Continue