Election in Bengal is over amidst speculation of change, while coming to office I was asking my taxi driver about his feeling, as it is said that the people from all section of society in Bengal carries individual political identity and belief, he instantly said who ever will come is good for Bengal, if change comes then people at least can have a taste of a different kind of governance at least, which has been monopolized by the left for last 34 years continuously, during this process a new generation has born and became adult and young Rakesh,the taxi driver is also among them.
I asked him why this time he wants change, he said for years we have been seeing the present government, we also had participated in their rallies and was a active member of Left backed workers union CITU, but once while I was sick they pressurized me to participate, when I didn’t agree they beat me up. I had supported them for years but they had given me pains. I had suffered for them and took pain for the idealogy, but finally that ideology has given me a bang. Now let see, hope is there as Didi is doing good and she is pure at heart, hope she will do some good, otherwise we have options in the next election we can again show them the exit door.
I felt he was true to some extent and his understanding to the complex political environment but he carries clarity in taking decision. Bengal has been a epicenter of struggle and oppression from time immemorial, it is oppression from Rajas, Muslim rulers and then the Britishers and it is this oppression from Partition of Bengal to British rule all this made Bengali people outspoken and revolutionary and that’s why uprising and revolutions are common in Bengal whether it be against britishers, or it for social evils like caste system, widow remarriage or so or bring about many religious reforms all happened in Bengal.
Bengalis were oppressed and they had seen much bloodshed. That’s why this community being tired of all this oppression and uprisings wants a stable rule and governance and that is the reason that they supported the Left front government in the year 1977, and after that Bengali’s are happy and became busy with work keeping their destination in safe hands of the leftist, who ensure them safety and security, but in the process many had come into the fold of the leftist ideology and the pure and dedication towards the cause started to cease, they became more violent as my taxi driver Rakesh remembered they had beaten him for not accompanying them to a protest rally. Here the leftist started to loose the faith of common people for whom the communist power come to rule.
When own people started to hurt you they seem to be more devilish then others and that is why the leftist started to cease their base after Singur, Nandigram and Lalgarh incidents people of Bengal went towards Didi, but again she had ditched people when they came to power in civic bodies elections in districts and also Kolkata.People started complaining the corruption of people in South 24 Parganas and East Midnapur and by this time everything changed. This time people had voted and they only know whom they had chosen, the verdict will be out on 13th May 2011.So cross your finger and keep your eyes fixed for the d day as this will going to decide the fate of people of Bengal.
Writer Joydeep Dasgupta is journalist.
