The Trinamool Congress has created quite a ruckus in the political climate of West Bengal. Mamata Banerjee had unleashed the goons and thugs of her party to ensure victory in the Panchayat Elections. The state of affairs in West Bengal is so sad that countless accusations of violence and intimidation are levied on the party leaders and workers on a daily basis. Her tyrannical approach has wreaked havoc in the state and now it looks like the unleashed hooligans from TMC can in no way be controlled by even Mamata herself. There are multiple allegations on a daily basis being raised against members of the student wing of the TMC, the Trinamool Chhatra Parishad, (TMCP) for demanding hefty amounts as admission fees in government colleges. The unhinged TMCP members have been accused of providing admissions in colleges based on the amount of money a candidate can give, instead of on the basis of merit. This is proving to be a Mamata’s Frankenstein in her home state.
Mamata Banerjee has tried to take hold of the situation by reportedly removing TMCP President Jaya Dutta, but the move has failed to make an impact on the ground. The admission rackets have made sharp headlines and have been severely criticised by parents and academicians around the state. The situation turned so bad that Mamata herself had to pay a visit to the Ashutosh College in south Kolkata. Nonetheless, her visit and strict warnings of punishment against anyone who would be found indulging in committing fraud in the admission process went completely unheard. Mamata herself asked the people not to commit such irregularities, as the worst hit from these fraudulent processes would be the students coming from the economically weaker sections of the society. “I was into student politics. We used to help students in getting admissions. If some people are demanding money in lieu of admission then this is absolutely wrong. The government will take strong action against them and will not spare them,” Banerjee said.
The West Bengal Education Minister Partha Chatterjee warned of taking “exemplary” action against those found guilty of indulging in fraudulent practises in admissions for undergraduate courses. The words and speeches of these top leaders are yet to make a difference to the TMC members who are making hefty profits out of the admissions process.
The saddest part is that Mamata Banerjee who holds prime ministerial ambitions in her heart cannot even control her own state or her unruly party workers. Talk about biting the hand that feeds! It will continue to happen unless Mamata Banerjee decides to start a state-wide crackdown on the nefarious elements within her own party. It will be an uphill task but it is needed to ensure that students coming from poor and economically weak backgrounds do not suffer in the state. This shameful act will add another blot in the already tarnished reputation of the TMC, and will effectively place another hurdle in Mamata’s ambitions of being projected as a national level leader.