Mamata Banerjee is the perennial angry woman of Indian politics. It is difficult to call her young anymore, but age hasn’t dampened her firebrand style of politics. There are a million possible answers to what makes Mamata Banerjee angry, ranging from Modi to Sarda to Narada to Bengal BJP to School children to RSS to everything under the sun. These days Mamata Di’s ire has been aroused by a Central government notification that seeks to regulate sale of livestock.
Slamming the latest decision by the Union government, Mamata Di has described it as ‘Unconstitutional’, ‘Undemocratic’ and an ‘attack on the federal structure. Mamata Di has threatened that she would challenge the Union government’s decision in Courts.
In conspiratorial tones, she also alluded to the timing of the notification, as it comes so close to the month of Ramzan. Mamata Di has also announced that she does not intend to abide by the Union government’s notification, thereby setting the stage for the now familiar clash between Union & West Bengal government.
As with other confrontations in the past, Mamata Di’s actions this time around are based more on political grandstanding rather than facts. Her sole intention, as always, is to emerge as a champion of her Muslim votebank and hold them close to her so as to be guaranteed of her hold on power in the state.
The following facts prove that her action has less to do with ideals and ideologies.
1. Union government hasn’t forbidden slaughter of cattle nor has it banned consumption of beef: The government has sought to regulate sale of cattle, thereby putting controls on illegal slaughter and sale of livestock.
2. Union government suddenly introduced the notification, without discussion with states: Union government’s decision followed a PIL filed in the Supreme Court, a decision on which was arrived at after negotiations between the Central government and various state governments including West Bengal. It was the Court that directed the Central government to issue notifications accordingly in October 2016, which were finally issued in May 2017.
3. Union government is crushing federal spirit of constitution by stepping into states’ jurisdictional areas: The Union government has issued the new notification under Prevention of Cruelty to animals act pertaining to sale of livestock. The exact rules for the same are meant to be still framed by the respective state governments.
Why then is Mamata Bannerjee protesting against a notification that was issued by the Union government under Supreme Court’s guidance with the full cooperation and awareness of her state government?
As mentioned earlier, this has to do with the politics of her state. With a Muslim population of almost 30% that tends to vote as a united bloc, it is in Mamata Di’s interests to constantly appear as a champion of minorities to reap electoral dividend. The rise of the BJP in West Bengal means that Mamata Bannerjee needs Muslims to vote for her now more than ever.
Amit Shah’s successful visit to West Bengal and the rising popularity of RSS, combined with participation of Hindus during Hanuman Jayanti & Ram Navami celebrations has spooked Mamata Bannerjee to no end. She knows that she can’t waste a single moment to burnish her pro-minority credentials as a substantial chunk of Hindu votes is expected to slip away from her over time.
The shrewd politician that she is, Mamata Bannerjee realizes that she the only way she can dominate the airwaves is by criticizing and bad mouthing Modi and the Central government. Beef is already an issue that has caught the fantasy of our mainstream media. Mamata Di will not waste a moment to direct attention to herself to strengthen her credentials as the tallest anti-Modi/BJP leader in the country today. Given the web of corruption that her administration is caught in, it is not unlikely that Mamata Di’s periodic outbursts against Modi government will continue for some time.
Whether these are spasms of an administration in its death throes or whether these would galvanize the anti-Modi parties to rally around Mamata Bannerjee, only time would tell