MAMATA MUST SHUN THE CULTURE OF VIOLENCE

Source – dailypioneer.com

This refers to the editorial, “In violence they believe” (May 20). Earlier, when the Left was in power, it was synonymous with politics of hate and vengeance in West Bengal. Now, with the turn of the tide, it is the Trinamool Congress (TMC) that holds all the aces. From beating up opposition party workers to mind boggling riots and arson, it is as if the TMC is seeking to make amends for being at the receiving end of the CPI(M) for long. TMC chief Mamata Banerjee has a mandate that can make most in the Opposition scurrying for cover. But come polls, TMC cadres are accused of smothering voices of the Opposition. The TMC workers and leaders have been accused of preventing the opposition parties from filing nominations and threatening them to withdraw from the race in others.

Hurling bombs to burning ballot boxes are tricks of the trade the TMC has picked up from the CPI(M). Party workers would not have run amok without their chief’s blessings. The Administration seems to be paralysed despite the Calcutta High Court order making the State Election Commission and the State Government responsible for poll deaths and property loss. That 34 per cent of the 58,000 odd seats were bagged by the TMC says a lot, though the Court has stayed the results in these seats. Banerjee has said that the majority of the dead were from her party in an unnecessary repartee to Prime Minister Modi, who had said that works of every political party barring the TMC had been killed in the deadly clashes between party volunteers. Banerjee has the art of connecting well with the masses. She should use her eloquency to foster amity between parties and religions.