That Trinamool Congress is not a normal political party was on display in the West Bengal state Assembly when the state’s Chief Minister and TMC leader Mamata Banerjee spoke after suspending the leader of opposition from the House. What stands out in her angry speech was the threat against the leader of the opposition. She said that if the Muslims in West Bengal start demonstration against Suvendu Adhikari how would he escape being mobbed by them, who would protect him. This clearly is an attempt to provoke the community to rise against Adhikari, who has been vociferous against the administration’s Muslim appeasement policy. This also is a clear signal that her administration would not even make an effort to protect Adhikari. Politically Mamata is feeling vulnerable to Suvendu’s stringent criticisms over her visibly pro-Muslim policies and finds that the hyperactive BJP leader cannot be silenced by using her state’s administrative machinery. She had tried all tricks in her politics but Adhikari has been drawing increasing attention day by day. This could be the reason for such a desperate and tactless threat to Adhikari from the floor of the Assembly. Clearly the threat was unparliamentary, but the pliant house speaker did not dare to delete the comment from the proceedings. This also exposes the state of West Bengal’s democratic system, where Assembly remains a hostage to a leader’s whims, not laid down rules and procedures.
Democracy rests on the sacred principle that the voice of the people matter, said J.D. Vance, the US Vice President in Munich. But not when you are in West Bengal. No, Mr Vance you are wrong when you say that “you can embrace what your people tell you even when surprising, even when you don’t agree”. Forget ordinary people, no media person or prominent persons including the chief of RSS can escape the wrath of the administration of West Bengal for airing any dissenting view. In case of the RSS chief, who is not a political person as such, the refusal to allow a meeting with his Sangh’s swayamsevaks by the state police illustrates the extent of discomfort Mamata Banerjee administration has over any dissenting voice. The RSS chief does not, and in case of his speech in West Bengal did not, mention anything to provoke any community. Still Mamata Banerjee administration had refused permission for RSS chief’s talk to his Sangh members. Evidently this was a positive signal to hard core fundamentalists in West Bengal, who are the muscle base of Mamata’s TMC empire. Similar signal she had sent from the floor of the Assembly, a caution to Suvendu Adhikari.
When the political administration is based on all pervasive corruption and the electoral process is devoid of checks and balances even institutions turn either toothless or complicit. Corruption is the tool that helps to attain private gains through political connect. To access various social benefit schemes one needs connection which is differently priced depending on the quantum of benefits. In order to strengthen the obligation of the party cadres to the political leadership anything that touches a citizen’s life—education, healthcare, employment, legal service—are offered against a price. This has been starkly unveiled in the state’s teacher recruitment scam, now waiting for the final verdict from the Supreme Court. The backbone of a political party are cadres who need to earn livelihood. They follow their leaders—at village panchayats, municipalities, local MLAs, MPs, anybody who can pull a string or two and help the cadres earn some money against favours granted. The lower level leaders grease the palms of their superiors, who in turn pass it further up. Corruption funds politics.
As administration weakens due to corruption, we can almost certainly expect further increase in fragility of the civil society due to the erosion of institutional checks and balances, weakness in independence of courts and frequent restriction of the space for civil society actions and political rights of citizens. Likewise, when corruption is not tackled, the economy sinks, job opportunities vanish and people migrate in search of livelihood. Only the unproductive section of population stay back, resulting in further erosion of the economy. Recently, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman pointed out that even in 2010 West Bengal accounted for 6.7% of capital formation in India, whereas now this has plummeted to just 2.9%. The stark reality of a corruption based economy could be seen in the fall. Another curious effect of all pervasive corrupt economy could be seen in the allegations that even in the opposition
To run an unchecked rule based on corruption one needs willing cadres to join the political forces. The blatant encouragement of cross border infiltration by the West Bengal administration comes handy and is used as an open door policy to recruit willing hands. People cross over from neighbouring Bangladesh in search of occupation. They easily collect forged papers in corrupt West Bengal and then move over to the fast developing parts of Bharat. These migrants, overwhelmingly Muslims, are pawns in the hands of ruling political authority. It does not need much persuasion to entice them with hints of communalism, as Mamata Banerjee did from the floor of the state Assembly. That in the process the fabric of Bharat crumbles is of little concern to the regional leader looking to consolidate her own political kurshi.
* Sugato Hazra is founder of Poliminds Consult, a content agency for aspiring and practising politicians.