Elections in this eastern State play a critical role in redrawing the political map of that traditionally left and centre dominated State with the rightwing Bharatiya Janata Party now making piercing inroads into the seething socio-economic milieu there. Placed in a crucial geostrategic position, and given its historic traditions and its great contributions to the cause of Indian freedom struggle, the state of West Bengal holds a key position and the outcome of the elections there can be a game changer for the country’s immediate future even. We know that the Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Mamta Banerjee, Chief Minister of West Bengal, are at loggerheads with each other on almost all main issues of our socio-economic, political development and, though once allies there, have now become bitter rivals. The election campaign and the polling going on there, strangely in eight phases, are marred by intense emotions, name-calling, and even violence and anarchy at some places. The Chief Minister herself complains of a sordid physical attack on her and moves along with her leg bandaged in the election campaigns but, of course, the rival parties pooh-pooh it as just another election gimmick. In this background it seems the Golden Jubilee celebrations of Bangladesh Liberation have come as a big aid to the Prime Minister Modi and he rushed to this first ‘foreign’ tour in a year or so after the Corona crisis onset. He talked there of his participation in the struggle to aid Bangladeshi freedom struggle even – this heckled by the opposition leaders as mendacious boasting. However, this editor feels there is no need to taunt the PM on this point since it was certainly probable that he could have participated, as an RSS activist, in the then Jana Sangh/RSS organized demonstrations, courted arrest/suffered short imprisonment. Well, Modi’s tour also seems to have been stained by Islamic fanatics’ demonstrations/riots in Bangladesh too, but that can certainly have some sympathetic impact on the Hindu voters of Bengal and Assam who are not happy with the intrusions/settlement of lakhs of illegal immigrants in their States. This editor always held that country more dangerous to the interests of security and integrity of our country, than Pakistan, and also opines that strict action should be taken against the illegal immigrants to West Bengal or other regions in our country. Let us hope and wish the present tenacious situation and acerbic campaigns there would not further deteriorate but the people would be more cautious and considerate in exercising their choices. §§§
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