Men and women were thronging before a house in Kalighat, South Kolkata. While the color of festivals has come and gone long back, for them celebrations have just begun. Smeared faces with the likes of red, green and shouting slogans, jubilating with gusto and fervor made a picture perfect as if they had waited for this quite long.
Verdict of the ‘Junta’ in a country like India has always been a baffling one yet imbued with a sense of hope and this vacillating thought in mind that they would indeed be pulled out of the present state of affairs and solutions would be churned out for the issues that seems to affect them in any way. Is it a renaissance in Marxist ruled state of West Bengal? Well, I think there would certainly be a big nod from my side in affirmation. It is what many are touting it as the “Chappal Revolution” that has taken the entire state with a population of around 91,853,489 in its sway. Doldrums were being expected from the very day campaigning had begun but CPI(M) would be vanquished like a wafer blown away with wind, that was bit difficult to assimilate at one go.
What does it all convey? 34-year long rule suddenly being routed in an unanticipated manner conjures the notion that a change of circumstances is being sought by en masse. I’m talking about a state where red flags on your rooftops assure you safe haven and actually is a guarantee of your very survival. For the concerned party workers swoop around and have mingled as if an inseparable part of the psyche of the inhabitants. This is a place where gory incidents like the Bantala rape case is hushed up, this is the very state where goons move brazenly than even the citizens, this is the state where jobs in government schools are given on the basis whether you pay obeisance to the ruling party or not.
While the lady who is ruling the roost, Mamta Banerjee has given the credit to Maa, Mati and Manush (Bengali reference to mother, earth and people); what remains to be seen is for how long the fiery politician harps on the success of the election and how does she take the onus of the trust by the public. The euphoria would soon subside and, devout followers or for that matter ordinary people smitten by the charms of the campaign would return back to their normal course of life. Now would Ms. Banerjee be able to deliver all what she has promised? Does she have a blueprint prepared as far as surging ahead with development is concerned and most importantly connecting with people, pulling them out of their cocoons of misery and helplessness? Stark realties often pose challenges that seem to be like stumbling blocks. And yes! This is no multimedia blitzkrieg as shown in the campaign on the TMC’s front with tableaus, balloons and LED screens. So Mr. Derek O’ Brien would have to be cautious enough keeping in mind the ramification of each and every decision. Striking rapport with the ‘bhadralok’ might have been the first step but mammoth task still needs to be done.
As an axiom goes, “Well begun is half done” and we would certainly not like that to happen in West Bengal. In fact what we are hoping to behold, is a state that rises like a phoenix from its ashes, is another Bihar that paves way for the overall development of the rural populace, and is certainly a place where ludicrous cynicism related to flags are not an assurance of your well-being.
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