Mamata's antics

THE TRINAMOOL CONGRESS chief, Ms. Mamata Banerjee, is at it again. It may be true that the stormy petrel from West Bengal is known for her penchant for hurling insinuations at persons holding office. But then, the accusations against the Chief Election Commissioner (CEC), Dr. M. S. Gill, in the wake of her party's poor showing in the polls, are only a reflection of a tendency that is clearly inimical to the spirit of democracy. That Ms. Banerjee refuses to resist the temptation to reduce political debates to street brawls is indeed a cause for concern. And more so when she fails to distinguish between political adversaries and persons holding Constitutional office - the CEC this time. She may be wanting to salvage the sinking morale of her party cadre. It is only natural for the Trinamool Congress chief to feel lost after the crushing defeat of her party in the State Assembly polls. Far from making it to Writers Building, the Trinamool Congress-Congress(I) combine even failed to muster enough support to emerge into a strong opposition to the Left Front in the new Assembly. But then, she needs to learn the art of accepting defeat and to identify her own shortcomings rather than looking for conspiracies all the time.

Such a poor show after all the hype - the poll eve alliance between Ms. Banerjee and Ms. Sonia Gandhi's party in the State was seen as having the strength to give the ruling combine a close fight - could not but have shaken Ms. Banerjee. And the Trinamool Congress chief was even otherwise not known for being courteous to her political adversaries. But then, the allegations against the CEC - that Dr. Gill was party to a conspiracy hatched by the Central Government - are just absurd to say the least. And her complaint that Dr. Gill refused to get back to her even after the several messages she sent on polling day is hardly anything. The CEC cannot be blamed for holding meetings with his officials (and not entertaining her telephone calls) on the day when voting was taking place in four States. Such outbursts after losing in elections and charging the CEC with having conspired against her party do not reflect any sense of responsibility that one could expect from someone who has put in long years in public life and also held responsible positions in the Union Cabinet. Ms. Banerjee's statements cannot but invite ridicule and it is time that her camp followers in the Trinamool Congress as well as those in the Congress(I) high command (for the party is still with Ms. Banerjee in West Bengal) make it known to her that such theatrics will do no good. The Congress(I) president, Ms. Sonia Gandhi, will have to distance herself from the stormy petrel's ways in no uncertain terms. And unless Ms. Banerjee learns to take electoral reverses in her stride, she will have to reconcile herself to the idea of fading out from public life.

Be that as it may, the political leadership of the NDA, including the Prime Minister, Mr. Atal Behari Vajpayee, too will have to share the blame for Ms. Banerjee's intemperate remarks. After all, the Trinamool chief was encouraged by them, on several occasions in the past, to carry on with such theatrics. The manner in which the NDA as a platform stood by her when she went about abusing those in power in West Bengal during the past couple of years could only have encouraged the Trinamool chief to resort to more such theatrics. As for instance, Ms. Banerjee's decision (twice between September 1999 and April 2001) to publicise her resignation from the Union Cabinet was tolerated by Mr. Vajpayee and others in the NDA. Similarly, the NDA's convenor, Mr. George Fernandes, was willing to airdash to Kolkata to please the Trinamool chief. The intemperate remarks by Ms. Banerjee are only a fallout of these. It is another matter that the Trinamool chief has chosen Mr. Vajpayee and his colleagues in the NDA as the targets. One would expect the leaders of the various parties within the NDA as well as those in the Congress(I) to come out firmly and convey to Ms. Banerjee that the theatre of the absurd will have to close.

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Section  : Opinion
Next     : R. K. Narayan, 1906-2001