Once pro-Mamata Di, West Bengal intellectuals now turn their backs on 'lawless' Trinamool

Barely two years after Trinamool Congress came to power, most of the pro-Mamata Banerjee personalities like painter Samir Aich, academician Sunanda Sanyal, writer activist Mahasweta Devi, theatre personality Bibhas Chakraborty and Kaushik Sen, singer Indrani Sen and Protul Mukherjee are now humming a different tune. Such is the disillusionment of intellectuals who had once rallied behind the TMC chief for a regime change in West Bengal that they are openly criticising Mamata for her party's lawless ways in the backdrop of spurt in political violence.

"It is pretty unfortunate that what we disliked about the CPM during the Left rule in Bengal is being repeated now by the Trinamool Congress government now. The day this government came to power the leaders of the ruling party started taking all the credit ignoring the common people who supported them to unseat the communists," said Samir Aich, a noted painter.

Aich said the ruling government feels if someone says something which is not in their favour that person is their enemy. "And they immediately start disturbing the person in many possible ways," he said.

Singer Indrani Sen also has similar feelings about the state government. "As we are approaching the panchayat election this year, political violence has significantly shot up in various pockets of the state. We get to see Trinamool minister exchanging heated dialogues which are further fuelling political clashes. This is totally uncalled for. We never expected this while supporting them two years back," Sen said.

She said people who are with Banerjee are not helping the state to grow in terms of development. "They are, in many cases, breaching the barrier of political courtesy inciting ugly fights with the opposition," she added.

Both Aich and Sen were known as pro-Trinamool intellectuals and close to the chief minister since the time political violence erupted in Nandigram way back in 2007.

"We have no regret that we supported Mamata Banerjee and her party during the anti-land acquisition protest. We felt the regime change was really needed that time. But it would not be proper to think we would defend her for the government's wrongdoings just because we stood by her in the past," said veteran theatre personality Bibhas Chakraborty.

He said, "We would like to tell the government not to politically influence the state administration. The police must be allowed to function impartially. This is the most important factor now."

"It would be really sad and unfortunate if those same things, for which we had wanted a change and hit the streets, happen again now," said Pallab Kirtaniya, singer who was often seen at various Trinamool Congress programme with the CM.

Recently, another pro-Trinamool intellectual and academician Miratun Nahar has resigned as a member of the state college service commission and the Nazrul Academy citing reasons of growing differences between her and the state government due to lack of administrative transparency. She has sent her resignation to both state education and information and cultural affairs department.

"People can see what kind of change has taken place in Bengal. I don't need to add anything to that. The new generation must come up and protest what is going on now. Democracy is like a bird and its two wings are - the ruling party and the opposition. It can not fly with just one," said singer Protul Mukherjee.

Magsaysay award winner writer-activist Mahasweta Devi is also unhappy with the functioning of the ruling Trinamool Congress government. She had resigned as the chairperson of Paschimbanga Bangla Academy after her recommendation of an author for the prestigious Vidyasagar Puraskar (award) was turned down by the state government.

Mahasweta Devi had actively campaigned for Mamata Banerjee-led Trinamool Congress to topple the erstwhile CPM-led Left Front government in Bengal. But soon after Trinamool stormed to power and intensified anti-Maoist operation in Junglemahal and took several unilateral decisions, she started developing distance with the ruling government.

Last week, state Pradesh Congress Committee (PCC) president Pradip Bhattacharya met the author-activist requesting her to once again stand up against the ongoing Trinamool atrocities in Bengal.

The above has been taken from http://indiatoday.intoday.in/story/west-bengal-intellectuals-resign-from-tmc-mamata-banerjee/1/242540.html

Suppriya Mukherjee, sent me a mail which set my mind rolling.

I give below the correspondence I had with him.

Dear Sharma ji,

I have a suggestion regarding formation of strong base of AAP in Bengal.

I hope you know painter Mr. Samik. He ran many agitation against CPI (M) and then became a TMC supporter but when he saw that TMC is also corrupt and is living on blood of common man, he left TMC and is a vocal activist on every issue against the wrong doings.

What I suggest is rope in this kind of people.

There are reasons why I am saying this. To connect with the bengalis you need to include educated good minded cultural bengalis into the team.

I know many of IIM and IIT grads are with us. But for catching the tune with the heart of bengal we need to catch the cultural guys of Bengal. Kolkata being the pivot and being a cultural city it does works and it works well.

We need to blend cultural guys with professionals and as per my assumption if these two honest entity unites the revolution will just shape up to what we are hoping.

Regards,

Supriyo Mukherjee

Dear Supriya,

Do give me the contact details of Samit.

You know the stringent conditions of AAP.

If he is honest and has no serious criminal charges against him, we can approach him

Yes, we do require leaders who are vocal.

We, educated class can be lend our support, but we require good leaders.

Best regards,

R S Sharma

Dear Sharmaji,

His name was mis spelt last time.

Sorry for that

His name is Samir Aich.

I currently don't have contact ID of the person but as my father is also an social activist I will make sure we get his number and address by few days.

http://www.aakritiartgallery.com/artist.php?id=146

You can refer to this link and find out his address from this art gallery by calling them.

He is a very well known painter.

In addition to that as hopefully AAP in bengal would start with kolkata as per my expectation it should be in our forefront that we rope in as many cultural people we can.

And believe me if this man comes then some others would follow.

Also in addition to that its the correct tie to build AAP base as people remembers wrong doings of CPM and is fed up of TMC. People in Bengal has an special hatred for congress(the reason for that is unknown to me, although there is a feeling that all congress leaders here kind of good life living and not street fighters), BJP has simply no base here in Bengal.

Regards,

Supriyo Mukherjee.

9836231469

Sr. Process engineer,

Linde India Limited.

The above persons could be prospective candidates of AAP in Bengal.

Those in the arts line having social contacts could contact them.

We should be looking for suitable candidates for the Parliamentary elections in Bengal.

As Supriya has said above, the people are equally fed up of both the CPM and the TMC.

The Congress is a non-entity, right from the start.

Others could give suggestions for their areas.