Can Didi handle Bengal?

Since we last wrote on West Bengal politics and the tasks ahead of Ms Mamata Banerjee (October 28), there has been a further evolution of the Maoist problem in the state, with the battle lines being once again being drawn clearly between the two sides.

Although the Chief Minister has tried to distinguish between “good” and “bad” Maoists (October 22) — meaning the unallied hoodlums and those who are keen on the uplift of the poor — it is now clear that the state machinery is out to fight those in the Jangalmahal region of West Bengal (comprising parts of West Midnapur, Purulia and Bankura districts) as one single, identifiable force, which is, mercifully, a distant cry from the earlier days, when there was a great mix-up between the CPI(M) “harmads” and the Maoists, the latter even being described as being allied to the Trinamul Congress in the run-up to the April-May State Assembly elections.

SIMILAR TACTICS

In the current phase of developments, the Mamata Banerjee Government is mincing no words in squarely taking up the cudgels against those in the guise of Maoists and the Maoists themselves, through the relaunching of operations by the joint forces in the affected areas, which has led to casualties on both sides. In other words, the period of shadow-boxing between the two sides is over, even though the interlocutors appointed to further peace prospects between the Government and the Maoists are still around, albeit reluctantly.

The upshot of all this is that, as far as the Maoist problem is concerned, Mamata Banerjee has failed to make any headway using her distinctive political line, following the assumption of power in May. In fact, she is using the very techniques used by the Left Front Government (even to the extent of revising her view on who was responsible for the Jnaneswari train mishap in May 2010), which cannot be a feather in her cap, because she has always thrived in opposition to the Front since the early nineties.

DIDI'S DIPLOMACY

Clearly, the fight with the Maoists will only get worse now before conditions improve, and it is just a matter of time before the insurgents make a splash with a big strike. Ms Banerjee, therefore, has got herself into the place where the Left Front was stuck, which is unfortunate, because it extinguishes all hope of the problem being sorted out with the help of the Chief Minister's new vision and unstinted sincerity. As it appears, the only salvation in forging an improvement in the lives of the people affected lies in the two-pronged policy of the state forcing the pace of development in the affected areas (through a super-dedicated administration, which is sadly missing) and fighting the rebels effectively in the forests and villages with guns and mines.

It will be the litmus test for Ms Banerjee as an administrator to get the development aspect of the solution working efficiently, and only time will tell if she will be able to pass it. Additionally, it will be instructive to watch how she handles a restive Congress Party in North Bengal, from where the party did well in the Assembly polls. In the meantime, Didi would do well not to rush to police stations to quell local disturbances, where her siblings are reportedly involved, or to spend an hour at a newspaper office gutted by fire, the owner of which is reportedly close to her. She is not only Chief Minister of West Bengal, but should also be seen to be one. This requires a different mindset into which she is yet to settle down.