The apparently innocuous rakhi turned out to be a nightmare of sorts for a politic ally susceptible police in Bengal even as the men in Khaki literally ran for cover at the sight of BJP women workers led by State leader locket Chatterjee approaching with Rakhi in their hands to tie the ‘thread of protection’ on the “police dadas’” hands.
At lalbazaar police headquarters the officers of all ranks either fled the scene or appealed with folded hands to spare them the reef knot: an action that was promptly interpreted by the BJP leadership as an upshot of a veiled caveat from Kalighat (the official residence of Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee) against entering into any kind of camaraderie with the saffron groups.
“Please madam thank you but spare me the knots,” said a senior inspector with folded hands adding, “we are not authorized to enter into any activity like that without permission,” even as his junior colleagues said in the sidelines, “sir is due to retire this year,” sending across the meaning of what they intended to specify.
Post-retirement victimisation.
After being spurned repeatedly locket Chatterjee a very active BJP leader of the women wing urged the officers to at least accept the threads and some sweets another officer simply leapt back and scurried away leading the leader to wonder “is it the way we celebrate our traditions in Bengal. They would even not accept the thread. This is not their fault but the result of a veiled browbeating from above.”
Bengal had been politicised in such a manner that “the people and not the least police are afraid of following their tradition. Rakhi is a social festival that makes us forget politics for at least a day. But the Trinamool Congress Government did not even let us do that.”
Incidentally the State Government was celebrating the day as Sanskriti Diwas or day of culture. A few months ago many BJP workers were injured when they were lathi-charged in front of lalbazaar police head quarters during a gherao.
Meanwhile Rakhi politesse replaced more than a month-long political chill between Bengal Governor KN Tripathi and the Chief Minister when the latter on Monday tied the “protection thread” on the hand of the former whom she openly criticized for heaping “insult” on her in the aftermath of Basirhat riots. Not much however was heard from Chief Minister’s side regarding the incident.