Raising ‘riot’ bogeyman to fight opponents
West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee's effort to twist the jihadi narrative emerging from her State to tarnish the opposition BJP as communal is neither good governance nor good politics. Since the first bomb blast in Burdwan earlier this month, it has become clear that under her watch, the State has been degenerating into a terror hub, possibly with the active support of her Government officials and party members. Even if Trinamool Congress leaders are found to have not been directly involved, the State Government is still responsible for failing to stop assorted jihadis and jamaatis as they set up base in West Bengal. But instead of acknowledging the problem and taking steps to contain the issue before it spirals out of control, Ms Banerjee and her Government have been on the defensive. First, they sought to block the National Investigation Agency from taking up the case; when the sleuths from Delhi came anyway, Kolkata cried hoarse about being sidelined, even as the common man in Bengal, already alarmed by the jihadis at his door, wondered aloud if the Government was trying to cover its tracks. Now that the matter has gained larger proportions, the Opposition has also upped the ante. last week, the BJP leadership in Bengal put forth a series of questions to the Government. This could have been a opportunity for Ms Banerjee, who has been quiet on the matter, to explain her Government’s stance. Instead, she launched a tirade against the BJP, blaming it for fanning Islamophobia and fuelling religious tensions. In doing so, she did exactly that which she had accused the BJP of: Playing with “communal fire”.
When taken at face value, Ms Banerjee’s assertion that terror has no religion is, of course, admirable. But the bizarre linkages she sought to establish with the demolition of the Babri mosque, for instance, expose her underlying sentiments. These also fit perfectly with her pseudo-secular brand of vote-bank politics. Much like her communist predecessors, Ms Banerjee has always engaged in a bit of Muslim appeasement. But in a bid to consolidate her vote-bank, Ms Banerjee, who once enjoyed popular support across Bengali society, has taken minority appeasement policies to a dangerously new high in the three years that she has been in power. Now, more than half-way into her first term, she knows she is losing ground. Her promises for change have not been fulfilled; law and order in the State has deteriorated and social tensions have become more palpable. The Saradha chit fund scam hit her Government hard and the Burdwan blasts could well make it difficult for her to secure a second term, especially if in the next two years, the BJP emerges as a strong alternative — as it is expected to, given its performance in the lok Sabha election. If Ms Banerjee wants to continue in power, she should focus on good governance rather than raise the ‘communal’ bogey to keep the BJP at bay.