ALL PARTY POLITICAL DRAMA

Last week (May 24) witnessed an all party political drama participated by the political parties of West Bengal or, to be precise, the parties having representation in the legislative assembly. But among them SUCI had boycotted the meeting. Oh I forgot to mention the occasion for the drama or meeting, whatever you like to call it. The all party meeting was convened to discuss how to bring peace and normalcy in Nandigram.

As expected in such a fallacious meeting with no fixed agenda, it fell through without any resolution and with a hope to reconvene the meeting in near future as it being called an ‘adjourned’ meeting. There were many attractions in the drama. First of all the meeting was convened by none other than a small ally of the Left Front Forward Bloc. The whole arrangement was made by the leaders of Forward Bloc. But there were drama on who would be called and who won’t be and who would attend the meet and who won’t. In last 30 years we haven’t seen such a growing importance of the allies of the Left Front other than the CPIM. Secondly the veteran Forward Bloc leader was successful to bring Mamata Banerjee to the dialogue table and thirdly, the Trinamool Congress chief sat face to face with the CPIM leaders. What else did you need to enjoy a drama! Again I am sorry for leaving out the part of arrangement this drama saw. Mahajati Sadan, the venue of the meeting looked like a venue for wedding reception!!

Now nobody expected any concrete result out of the meeting. Everyone was waiting inside and outside the meeting to see the climax of the all party meeting. And as the meeting started, after about one and a half hours or little more than that came that moment. We saw Mamata Banerjee storming out of the meeting with other members of her delegation. Later we came to know after discussing Nandigram and related issues for nearly two years, the Trinamool chief couldn’t control herself as the CPIM minister Subhas Chakraborty was trying to justify the March 14 police firing as a reaction to the January 3 incident where a police jeep was burnt down by the villagers of Nandigram. Mamata called the March 14 police firing ‘genocide’, CPIM didn’t want to accept that. We all knew these issues would come up and who would say what.

Though the peace meet was ‘adjourned’ amidst not so peaceful circumstances, it definitely has left some political implications. Let us look at the funny part of ‘invitation’. The convener of the meeting took time to set a benchmark for forwarding invitation. BJP was not called in the meeting. Nor was Jamiyet Ulema e Hind. CPI (ML) was forwarded an invitation only to be told later over phone that ‘please don’t come’. Insignificant political parties like RJD, JMM, GNLF (showed a political maturity by not attending the meeting) who were insignificant in the Nandigram issue were called to participate. We came to know through some whispering campaign that it was Mamata Banerjee who didn’t want Ashok Ghosh to call BJP or Jamiyet in the meeting, apparently to maintain a secular credential. Even if we forget the double standard by Mamata, it has a deeper significance. Jamiyet is one of the major constituents of the Bhumi Uchhed Pratirodh Committee which is spearheading the movement in Nandigram. I wondered in my last column how the peace meeting on Nandigram could be successful minus the BUPC representatives. And here comes the politics of TMC. Mamata Banerjee and her party want to emerge as the face of the anti-land acquisition movement in Bengal. In Nandigram, TMC is just fraction of the movement (still Mamata should be thankful to the MLA Subhendu Adhikari who is in constant touch with the movement at the grass root level). So it was a crucial occasion to hijack the face value of the Nandigram movement. Mamata didn’t want to miss the chance.

Another decision on the constitution of her delegation has really made me feel happy about her political maturity (which is seen once in a while). She took all the grass root level leaders to the meeting. Abu Taher, Abu Sufiyan, Subhendu Adhikari, Sisir Adhikari are all leading the movement at the soil of Nandigram and Becharam Manna, another son of the soil of Singur. This is an excellent combination. They are the right and legitimate persons to talk about the woes of the people. She had also taken Partha Chatterjee. Mr Chatterjee is the leader of the opposition and so there is a touch of legislative party which is again a legitimate body to be in conversation with the government. And her decision to attend the meeting herself despite knowing the fact the chief minister and the state CPM secretary not attending it, was part of an effort to show her seriousness to the all party peace initiative.

That is where CPIM has lagged a little behind. It was not possible for the chief minister or Biman Bose to sit through a pure drama on Nandigram. Though according to the CPIM party philosophy they did the right thing by sending two secretariat members Madan Ghosh and Shyamal Chakraborty and a minister, Subhas Chakraborty who is vocal at the same time, it falls a little short of the ‘seriousness’ that Mamata has shown.

It seems that CPIM didn’t want the peace meeting at the state level to be successful. They didn’t want to give the credit to the allies like CPI, RSP and Forward Bloc for brokering a deal with the opposition. They just wanted to show the allies what it feels like dealing with Mamata. But the Front allies are taking credit of the fact that they have made it possible to bring Mamata to the dialogue table. That is their success.

None is daring to say ‘no’ to further peace meeting. So there is a ray of hope. If that will be helpful to bring back normalcy in Nandigram is a different question altogether and has taken a backseat as we see Nandigram and Khejuri are still simmering. We all now wait for the All Party Political Drama part II.

POLITICS OF DIALOGUE

So another issue is rocking the arena of politics in West Bengal. An all party meeting will be convened by the Left front allies to discuss Nandigram. The Left front meeting on 7th of May had authorized the allies like RSP, Forward Bloc and CPI to try and bring the opposition parties like Trinamool Congress to bring to the discussion table. It is being perceived as a step back on the part of the big brother CPIM. In last thirty years it didn’t happen that the CPIM authorized the small partners to lead a political process. Apparently this also shows that the CPIM is really cornered on Nandigram issue within and outside the Left Front. But this is a clever move put forward by the CPIM.

A week ago when a newspaper quoted RSP leader and minister Kshiti Goswami saying a parallel committee led by veteran Forward Bloc leader Ashok Ghosh would have taken initiative to bring back normalcy in Nandigram, the CPIM state secretary and Left Front chairman Biman Bose reacted strongly. He looked at it as a loss of confidence of the allies in him. Today that very CPIM and the LF chairman giving freehand to the Forward Bloc leader to broker a peace deal seems very interesting. And more interesting is Trinamool leader Mamata Banerjee’s acceptance of such a proposal.

There were two options before the Left Front government and the CPIM after the administration’s repeated initiatives of all party meetings failed. Either let the governor convene an all party meeting or assign the allies to do the needful. Mamata was ready to participate in the all the party meeting if it was convened by the governor. Later it we saw she was also open to peace talk initiated by the allies.

It is difficult for the government or CPIM to leave it to the governor Gopal Krishna Gandhi, who is seen to be very sensitive towards Nandigram issue, to sit with all the parties. That would mean a clear intervention by the central government through its representative, the governor of West Bengal. And moreover the CPIM don’t trust this governor, especially after he released a strongly worded statement on March 14 on the Nandigram carnage.

So they opted for the other choice. And this is, I say it again, is a clever move by the CPIM. First let us look at the long term goal of the CPIM in Nandigram. It is clear, as the experience of Arambagh, Garbeta or Keshpur tell us, that CPIM wants to regain control in Nandigram and they want it back before the next year panchayat elections. They want a full control in the area, would start some flash developmental work, win the panchayat elections through might or right and establish the fact that the people of Nandigram are with them. That would help them build a positive image. They tried to do it on 14th of March. But it boomeranged because of the poor intelligence in the local party level. Though the CPIM is very much in the bcakfoot, it doesn’t mean that they have backtracked from their earlier goal. By hook or crook they want their cadres to enter Nandigram well before the panchayat elections.

At this moment, by giving the allies a freehand, CPIM has built a liberal image. The allies now can’t complain that the ‘big brother’ is not giving importance to its siblings. If any peace formula works out in this meeting convened by the allies led by Ashok Ghosh, that would actually help the CPIM in every way. And if it doesn’t work, the CPIM can put the blame on the allies saying they also can’t broker a peace deal with Mamata and then why blame the big brother!. That would help them reestablish their grip in the LF.

Now everything goes well as far as FB leader Ashok Ghosh’ initiatives are concerned. But Mamata has justifiably raised some questions (or pre requisite) regarding the peace talks led by the allies. Will it remain to be a mere political dialogue or will the decisions be implemented by the government? Will any representatives of the government be present in the meeting? As we have heard Ashok Ghosh, the chief minister has assured (or ‘guaranteed’) him of implementing the decision taken in the all party meeting.

Now for a brief moment, let us see why Mamata has agreed to participate in such initiative. To put it straight, Mamata Banerjee wants to build a positive image. If CPIM can prove (this is what they are trying also) that it is because of Trinamool Congress the peace can’t be brought back in Nandigram, it would cost Trinamool a high price. The sympathy TMC has gained over this issue will gone to vain. And by now everyone knows it is no more a fight to save land but transcended into a political fight. So it is out of compulsion that Mamata agreed to join the all party meeting called by the FB (keep our fingers crossed. She has not joined as yet).

But this meeting is going to be so fallacious! Any all party meeting at the state level would really mean nothing. It is not so easy to percolate the decisions at the grassroot level in Nandigram. Nandigram should not be mistaken as another Keshpur or Garbeta. It would be an understatement if we call it (and CPIM is campaigning) a fight between CPIM and Trinamool Congress. None has seen such kind of mass uprising in WB in last 30 years as we see in Nandigram. And the movement was never and isn’t now also in the sole hands of TMC. Several parties and mass organizations in the name of Bhumi Uchchhed Pratirodh Committee are involved in it and that is why we haven’t seen any political flag in the whole movement in Nandigram. TMC is just a fraction of the movement under BUPC. Would it have been a TMC movement, it wouldn’t be so difficult for the government or the CPIM to invade Nandigram. Since it is not, the government or the CPIM are failing to grip the area as yet.

There is no guarantee if the points agreed at by the TMC in the all party meeting would be adhered to by other parties and mass organizations involved in the Nandigram movement.

And as TMC doesn’t have much stake in the real movement in Nandigram and a process to corner them has already started there, it has been easy for Mamata Banerjee to extend her hands to the allies’ proposals. Let us wait and see if the dialogue comes out to be fruitful or another police action is in the offing in Nandigram.

A GIFT CALLED CHAOS

I am sick and tired of covering violence in Kolkata. In last week there were at least three incidents of violent clashes. And in last six months, I have covered countless ‘violence’. And the root behind all these violent agitations, I think and many would agree, is Singur and Nandigram. The police action in Singur started it all, the mass movement in Nandigram made people bolder and the police firing in Nandigram has grown a public hatred towards police and administration. After 14th March, police also are acting in a restrained manner. It is a standing instruction to them now. But if that leads to chaos in the civil life, there is more reason to worry.

This chaotic atmosphere is a joint gift from the ruling and opposition parties in form of Singur and Nandigram. The ruling front has handed over the weapon to the opposition parties and they are misusing it and not only the political parties, but also the ‘public’ are also taking advantage of the situation. There is an atmosphere of complete mistrust and intolerence everywhere. The opposition parties don’t trust the government. The government doesn’t trust the opposition parties. One opposition party doesn’t trust the other. People don’t trust the administration. The police don’t trust the ‘crowd’. And if we look deep, we can see the West Bengal is on the boil. Ironically it is the common people who suffer because of this unruly situation.

I can recall a series of incidents in last one and a half month where the agitation got violent. Be it the labour unrest in Hindmotor, be it the Jadavpur University or Presidency College elections, be it South City elections, be it Jalpaiguri or Midnapore, be it the agitation of the Jamiyet or be it the passengers’ unrest at Sealdah station, everywhere the language is the same. Yes, you can very well say we have seen such type of violent protests in the past too. But the attitude of the protestors has changed. Nandigram has fuelled the arrogant attitude of the protest. I have heard people asking us in this kind of demonstration, “cant you see what is happening in Nandigram?”, “where were you when the police killed innocent people in Nandigram”. And this tells us these people are aware and motivated by what is going on in the state. And I cant blame the police. How long can you tolerate the unruly crowd!

Here comes the role of the administrator. The people who are running the administration, giving orders to the police force and trying to manage things in the civil society. It is a complete callousness on their part. They are failing to find out methods to bring this state back to normalcy. I give you a small instance. On Saturday the drivers and the motormen in the Sealdah division went for a ‘flash strike’ (I am not going into the reason and justifiability of it). The trains stopped moving in and out of Sealdah station. Thousands of passengers got stranded. And there was no specific announcement from the railway authority. The passengers didn’t know what the reason was for disruption of train service, what was going on and when the train services would resume. They got angry and every crowd has some elements of hooliganism. So they went on rampage in the station. Police had to resort to lathicharge and many got injured. The whole incident would have been avoided if the administration would come forward maintaining some sort of transparency. This is a problem with everywhere.

This is high time the administration as well as all the stakeholders in this civil society should be more proactive to stop the effort to turn the state back to square one. And we the common people who suffer most should also contribute to the process with our little efforts. How? If you don’t have the answer, look for it from within.

Living with the news of child death/ November 12, 2006

News for us is like the waves in the ocean. A wave comes once and goes back to the ocean leaving no permanent imprints. So do the events and the incidents, which see the front page of the newspapers and headlines in the television news and after a while, go into oblivion. I wonder if they leave any impression on us at all or not!

When we are busy with the Film Festival, let us just switch on our memories and remind us of a news item ‘17 babies die in a city hospital for children’ that rocked the headlines a week back. I know we blew the incident out of proportion (for the right cause though!). I saw the flash on one of the regional channels and rushed to BC Roy Hospital for Children. None of us found any family members of the children who died. The authority fed us with the information all the babies came in a critical condition and there was no question of negligence on their part! Normally 4/5 babies die daily in that hospital. Factually there was nothing wrong in the information passed on by the ‘media-friendly’ superintendent of the BC Roy Hospital for Children.

Interestingly the non-story got a twist when the chief minister decided to visit the hospital with his colleague in the health department. I think he didn’t have much work to do on that Saturday evening and successfully did the damage-control by visiting the hospital himself on the first day the news broke (I never saw him reacting so fast!). Never mind the fact the media persons were thrown out of the hospital premises during his visit.

We carried the story for two days. Some political parties tried to gain some mileage from the incident, the health minister ordered investigation and then we forgot it on the third day as usual (dipping down the ocean of news). If you take any interest and follow the mortality rate in the BC Roy, you can again get another story in a few days ‘20 babies die in two days’!

It is true this shocking figure hits us occasionally, but the figure is really ‘normal’. Even if we accept Superintendent’s words and consider it to be normal, real stories still remain at the back. Nobody answered in public what is taking so long to upgrade the infrastructure of the hospital with Sourav Ganguly donating a lump sum amount to build a new block nearly two years back? None can deny the fact there is lack of infrastructure in this government-run hospital for children. This kind superficial journalism at least help us to ring the alarm bell, may be, once a while!

USE AND THROW /November 05, 2006

Last week I had been to a small district town of Orissa, Dhenkanal. The first thing you notice about this hilly district headquarters is its serenity, beautiful landscape and mystic character. I spent a whole year in this town studying journalism in the eastern India campus of Indian Institute of Mass Communication on the lap of the hills.

For a first time visitor, the place would really look attractive at the first glance enthusing a feeling of peace at your heart. But the moment it comes to your mind that you will have to stay here for a whole year, your head may refuse the idea. The place is bereaved of any source of entertainment. It doesn’t have any shopping mall, any proper cinema hall (let alone any multiplex), any disco theque or a good restaurant. So it is difficult for anyone coming from a metro city to accept this ‘handicapped town’. We all had the same problem. It takes time to adapt. Somehow we managed it and lived happily adapting ourselves according to the demand of the hostel life.

But some had problem with the taste of the food, lack of entertainment and every little thing. I had a batch mate (not mentioning the name for obvious reason!!) who had food with her hand/fingers for the first time in her life after failing to get a spoon at a picnic in a nearby village. She sat on a playground to have lunch on banana leaf. She was frantically looking for mineral water in that remote village not to drink but to wash the plate made out of banana leaf!

But this time I came across some interesting incidents. A father took away his daughter from IIMC within three days of admission. The reasons: the rooms weren’t air-conditioned, his daughter had to wash her own plates herself after every meal. He saw a lizard in his room where he was allowed to stay for a few days as guest. (Thank heaven he didn’t see the snakes that coexist in the campus and the legendary Black Panther that one of our darwans once saw!!!)

Adding to it was the height of inadaptability. This time some boys are using use-and-throw plates for their having their meals!!! The reason: they cant or don’t like to wash their own utensils after having their food. We couldn’t think of it at our time!!

These may be little things but what surprise us is that they are supposedly the aspiring journalists of a country called India. Are we all future journalists driven by the idea of ‘Page 3’ journalism only? I pity for them.

THE GREAT INDIAN WEDDING IS OVER????

The great Indian wedding is over!! The days of frenzy and fanfare are gone. I feel relieved. It was suffocating to see all the news taking a backseat to the wedding coverage (covered coverage). When I look back upon the last one week, as a journalist, I feel pity for my profession. The run up to the big wedding had seen stories being aired or printed on the preparations of the wedding. The requisitions started pouring in from the head office, "fill us up with stories from your city on the Ash-Abhi wedding". In Kolkata we got our very own Sharbari Dutta designing the wedding suits for Abhishek Bachhan, covered. Some people covered the vermilion for Aishwarya Rai going from the city's Kalighat and a few more. It was fine till then. We sent occasional stories on the wedding preparations. In most of the cases the hungama over this marriage was limited to the entertainment bulletins and the stories went as the tail ender of the bulletin.

But I started feeling suffocated on the wedding day. The other day I heard my editor giving our entertainment chief a free run on going live on the wedding. I could see the fate of the "news" the day after. And a day before wedding the hungama started in all the channels. The reporters standing outside Bachchan's bungalow started giving "gyan" on the wedding. Unfortunately none could get any exclusive visuals of what was happening inside the bunglow. It was all depending on the glimpses of the Bachchans and their guests and fed by "sources" the reporters went gaga over the event. And here I tell you something very interesting. In such cases none would contradict or send any rejoinder to what you say based on your sources. You may confidently say Aishwarya is wearing yellow saree and the ornaments. None would contradict you as none could see Ash, including, probably, your sources.

So the drama began since morning. Some senior once told me on such days and occasions break some big news and do somethinglese, the channel would take your story and you could make your mark. I try to follow that advice. So did I on the wedding day. It worked initially. I broke a news at 2 in the afternoon. It went top in the headlines. But another breaking news came in at around 3: 30 pm and my story was pushed back and then the barati came out and my story went into oblivion. Everyone got busy with the wedding. How Abhishek came out of his bunglow, how Amitabh led the barati, how Amar Singh took the control of the situations and all the details came out of the reporters standing outside the Bachchan's house. I really felt how stupid we are. In fact it was nothing but stupidity. The cameras couldn't capture anything beyond the guests getting off the cars and walking into the house and coming out of the bunglow and whisking away.

It's not that sometimes I also fall prey to such stupidity. Being a journalist of Kolkata, I also need to go to Ganguly's residence to give live link to the studio and show how the cars are coming out and going behind the iron gate. But I must thank Bachchans for at least arranging for some snacks for the media persons waiting outside his home to cover the wedding. We don't get this minimum reception anywhere.

But it is not the end of it all. We know the columnists would start writing about the craziness and enthusiasm the media covered the event with and, like me, would call it stupidity and mention about hundreds of serious news that could have been covered at that time. The counter argument remains: it is the demand of the viewers. And I also subscribe to this view. It is the viewers and the readers who want to know about the lifestyle of the celebrities and more the celebrities maintain secrecy, more we are interested to know. We Indians in general are 'gossip lovers' and we always love to act as a peeping Tom. Be it in our neighbourhood or be it the glam world, we behave in the same way. And the media follows the taste of the average Indians. It is as simple as that. You call it business or name it anythingelse. But can media take a chance to change the taste of the viewers and readers? That is a separate debate kept for some other time.