As elections to the all-important state of West Bengal near, political rhetoric has begun peaking. In any other normal election, a competition of sorts between Hindu deities and Gods would not become a centre point of any party’s campaign. However, the TMC is a desperate party, aware that chances of it winning the upcoming polls are bleak. As such, the Ma, Mati, Manush party has resorted to cheap sub-nationalism, which also includes dividing Hindu deities between parties and their supporters. Ma Durga, for instance, is being projected by the TMC as the Goddess of Bengalis, while Shri Ram a deity solely that of ‘outsiders’.
At the ABP Shikhar Sammelan, TMC MP Saugata Roy said that the people of Bengal say “Jai Ma Kali” and “Jai Ma Durga”, and not “Jai Shree Ram” as in Bengal, Ram is seen as a hero from Ramayana. “There’s a difference in perception. So, we don’t see Ram the same way he is seen in Uttar Pradesh.” He elaborated, “Ram was a devotee of Ma Durga, before going to Lanka he prayed to Goddess Durga”. Essentially, Roy insinuated that the people of Bengal admire Shri Ram for his heroism, but do not worship him like Ma Durga.
The TMC MP also said, “People can say Jai Shree Ram where they want, during their rally or in the Ram Mandir but we don’t like it when they say it during Subhash Chandra Bose Jayanti celebrations, which is very important event for Bengalis that’s why we get annoyed. There’s a place for everything.” At the face of it, Saugata Roy’s statement to many would seem silly – as they are. However, the man’s assertions are also sinister, and tell us about the TMC’s inherent hatred for people from other states of the country, particularly UP, Bihar and Gujarat.
Here’s a small crash course for Saugata Roy and the TMC. Sanatan Dharma is not monotheistic, as the TMC thinks it to be. Claims of ‘Jai Shree Ram’ not being a household chant in Bengal reek of a plot to cut off Hindus of the state from their brothers and sisters spread across the country, and the world. Further, the TMC is single-handedly working to create a mindset of monotheistic devotion among the Hindus of Bengal. This, when in every BJP rally, lakhs of Hindus chant Jai Shree Ram in unison, further exposing how the ruling party is completely cut off from the ground sentiment.
By claiming that Bengali Hindus worship only Shakti and her divine forms, Saugata Roy and his party have shown how they do not even have bare minimum knowledge of Dharma. It is, for instance, not known to the TMC perhaps of how Ma Durga was invoked and given a physical form by various devas, including the tridevtas – Brahma, Vishnu, Mahesh. Her face was created by Lord Shiva and her torso crafted by Indra. Her breasts were made by Chandra and her teeth by Brahma. The lower part of her body was made by Bhudevi. Varuna sculpted her thighs and knees, and Agni created the Goddess’s eyes.
In fact, Ma Durga represents the sum total energy of all deities combined together. The very astras carried by Mahamaya were gifted to her by the devtas. Ma Durga best epitomises the interdependency of all devas. As such, to differentiate between her and other deities is ignorant foolishness of unprecedented magnitude. The Tridevtas too are interdependent on each other. Creation, sustenance and destruction cannot take place without even one of them disappearing into vacuum. As such, Brahma, Vishnu and Mahadev are all interlinked. To top it all, they have together contributed to the creation of a physical form of Shakti, i.e., Ma Durga.
Why should the TMC, as such, then take to differentiating between an avatar of Lord Vishnu and Shakti? How dare Saugata Roy and his party diminish Shri Ram? Rest assured, their arrogance will be answered by the public of West Bengal. The coming months will see the TMC fade into irrelevance. Much of its downfall will have to do with the absence of any dharmic knowledge among the party’s rank holders.
