Roopa Ganguly was returning from Ishwaripur village near Kakdwip in South 24 Parganas after visiting a party worker. She was assaulted allegedly by TMC workers. In the Assembly elections, Roopa Ganguly was pitted against cricketer-turned-Trinamool Congress candidate Laxmi Ratan Shukla in Howrah North. Roopa Ganguly , previously had led a protest march of at least 200 Akhil Bhartiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP) workers and BJP leaders march near Jadavpur University. Roopa Ganguly, despite losing her seat is becoming a force to reckon with in West Bengal. Does it hint at anything?
Let us begin with the background first:
The Bengali Culture is steeped in the worship of women in their Divine form. No other section of India’s mammoth population celebrate their devotion and veneration to the Holy Mother Durga and Kali such as the Hindu population of Bengal. Perhaps it is this feistiness in these 2 Holy Divine Forms which is reflected in the women folk of Bengal.
West Bengal has given the nation many Social Reformers & Religious Icons. Primary among them being Swami Vivekananda & Ramakrishna Paramahansa. Not to forget the one and only one Subhash Chandra Bose. As well as Icons on the Stage as well as Film Fraternity like Suchitra Sen, Jaya Bhaduri, Raakhee, etc. Many might not be aware that the 2nd Woman President of the Indian National Congress in 1925 was Sarojini Naidu, who was actually a Bengali (Sarojini Chattopdhyay), married to a Telugu Naidu. The 1st woman President being Dr.Annie Besant one of the founding members of the INC.
All this was fine when the spirit of Bengal was killed by a certain Siddhartha Shankar Ray of the Congress, who as CM of the state arranged the extra-judicial killings of thousands of so called naxals immediately after the 1972 Bangladesh Liberation. His actions against the Naxals and the Left Movement pitch forked the Left to Power in the State who ruled the state unabated for more than 3 decades at a stretch.
Violence breeds violence. The violence unleashed by the Congress against the Left was replicated by the Left when they were in Power for those 3 Decades and more. Where there is violence, naturally leaders emerge against that violence and who choose to face that violence with their own brand of violence. Mamata Banerjee being the byproduct of that anti-CPM Violence. Having started her career in the Congress, it did not take long for her to realize that her future in the Congress solely depended on her acceptance and submission to the High Command culture of the Congress. The warrior in her not allowing her to bend before anyone. Having sacrificed her life towards throwing out a completely inept and corrupt CPM government, and having felt the prospects of ruling Bengal on her own might, she left the Congress to chalk out her own destiny, which ultimately paid her rich dividends.
There is an old saying ‘A Warrior does not know the meaning of peace’. The terror and violence unleashed by Mamata’s party TMC against their adversaries in Bengal, especially after coming to power has made the CPM violence in their 30+ years look like a Park fight among 2 kids.
While violence and counter-violence was being propagated among the Secular Political Spectrum in Bengal since 1972, unabated, the BJP sensed an opportunity for their brand of politics. All the 3 major Political Parties, namely, the CPI(M), TMC & Congress involved in Violence Politics being Secular. While all 3 Political Parties were deeply involved in unleashing violence against each other, they needed cadre to affect the same. The Hindu cadres of each of these parties were not so much forthcoming. But, the minority Muslim cadres of each of these parties were eager to enforce their Political master’s wish. Hence acquiring and attracting the Muslim cadre for purpose of unleashing violence and countering violence became a necessity and need for survival. That was when an opportunity was seen among the trickling Muslim migrants from Bangladesh. To say that all 3 Political parties encouraged the Migration would be an understatement. Migration was not only encouraged but these illegal migrants were also legitimized. So much that these migrants have become a ‘Clear & Present Danger’ to the Security & Integrity of the entire Nation.
Like an Octopus which spreads its tentacles, these migrants with their legitimized status have spread over silently and melted themselves into each and every corner of the country. So much so, that they form a sizeable vote bank even in the Nation’s capital, Delhi.
The Bengali Hindu population, who usually were found busy with their Durga poojas and Rosagullas, suddenly woke up to see that every 3rd or 4th Bengali near them was a Muslim. Panic buttons were being struck and BJP which was and is being seen as the protector of Hindu identity started seeing an increase in their vote share, election after election. Seeing the abnormal growth of the BJP, the Secular Political Spectrum seems to have panicked. And as is common for their brand of politics, the Secular Parties, specifically Mamata’s TMC initiated the cycle of violence against the BJP.
The BJP is a Political Party which does not believe in violence against its own, which are the Hindus. Its strong RSS backed ideology and moral obligations towards anything Hindu leaves the BJP at the mercy against the might and violence based politics of the TMC & the CPI (M) in violence marred Bengal. It doesn’t take any great acumen to realize that, unless the TMC is fought stone to stone or brick to brick on the roads, streets & gutters of Bengal, the BJP cannot hope to capture Bengal.
But, the BJP has achieved the unthinkable in once violent neighboring Assam. Same culture, same issues, same in fact bigger Bangladeshi migrant problem, same if not worse skewed Hindu vs. Muslim ratio, almost same language, and viola, BJP has almost formed the government on its own in Assam just a few days back. The lessons here for the BJP to be implemented in neighboring Bengal are clear. The task for them being fully cut-out. The fire in the stomach more than abundant. An aggressive BJP leadership in Modi & Amit Shah. Finally, a very ideal launch pad in an increased vote share. That too, election after election. What was and is needed is an able fire brand leader who will and can lead the BJP by taking on Mamata and her goons on the streets.
So who fits that bill? Who will bell the cat? Who will take on Mamata’s street politics? Surely it cannot be a Male. A male fighting Mamata will not seem as an equal fight. In an increasingly emerging feminist India, a Male taking on Mamata would seem an unequal fight even if the female is winning. It has to be a female.
The answer being Roopa Ganguly . The emergence of Roopa Ganguly being the Master Stroke of Amit Shah. She seems to show the gumption of withstanding Mamata’s goons.
She seems to show that she is up for the challenge. Amit Shah’s always plans for the long haul. His main forte is that, he never plans and implements with short term gains in sight. He clearly realizes that, in today’s Bengal, there is really no need to counter Mamata’s brand of violence with additional violence. Just standing against her violence is enough. Like a rock withstanding the badgering of waves. On a rocky beach it is the rock which gains prominence over the waves. Roopa Ganguly clearly is emerging as that rock.
The Modi-Amit Shah duo have clearly set their eyes on Kerala. Kerala is their ultimate victory goal. Winning India was like winning the match. Winning Kerala with a 55-60% Hindu Voter base is akin to winning the Cup, with an added bonus, of Man of the Match, Man of the Series, Best Bowler, Best Fielder, etc, all in one.
And the road to conquering combined Leftist & Secular Kerala is by winning combined Leftist & Secular West Bengal.