Random thoughts 12042017

Newspaper reports mention that some rowdy named Yogesh Varshney, who also claims to be  a BJP youth leader, has offered Rs 11 lakhs for Didi's head . Now, it is not clear whether the claimant will have to produce an AADHAR card to get the money and if it will be subject to TDS at income tax rates pertaining to the appropriate slab. The mode of transfer of the funds, obviously in some electronic format by direct credit to Bank account is also not mentioned. Also if the claim is made after the GST bill is passed then what will be the GST status also remains to be clarified. There should surely be a law against making such announcements without specifying the  norms of funds transfer and the mode of settlement

Dear reader,there is no need to smile at the sarcasm after reading these lines. . Because when a BJP functionary announces such bounty, then it must be assumed to be clean and well accounted  money. All of us know that the party is avowedly against corruption- by its own over the roof top proclamations- and because it also supports transparency in public life in a more revealing manner than Mandakini's wet saree in Ram Teri Ganga Maili. And we can presume that the members of this party spend their hard earned tax accounted money for such great causes like beheading an aged female leader, when she can't be defeated by political skulduggery.

There will be some people who will be quick to point out that the BJP has dissociated itself from the person and it has nothing to do with such threats. They should be reminded that members of this party who have made much worse statements and committed far heinous actions in the past have been rewarded with exalted status and some also occupy very high positions of power. So this watering down statements are meaningless and better not used as extrication tactics. We are well aware of the mask that hides the real face.

Then there will be people who will  raise their hackneyed clamour of "Where were you when ....." or "What about......" . There will be comparisons drawn with such threats given in the past by persons aligned to ISIS, Jamaat (of different varieties), SIMI etc.  No doubt such people idolise these outfits in the heart of their hearts and want to follow in their footsteps. These  tit for tat specialists are actually twits of the lowest grade. 

But the latest addition is a  variety of people who will hail this announcement of bounty as an " out of the box " idea to get rid of the lady.  Such is the extent of the brainwashing and propaganda that there will even be arguments put forward for the need of such an action to accelerate the development of the country by removing all obstacles. Anybody protesting will naturally  be termed as a habitual nit picker  by people with pretenses of better upbringing or education and as an anti national by those who don't. Their low level cousins from the gutter , the social media trolls will heap the most innovative abuses related to the parentage of the person and the anatomy of their female relatives in a graphic manner.

The north dominated setup of the saffron brigade is not so much eager about the southern dominance right now because that may throw up unexpected claimants for power and upset the apple cart. Much as the South Indian Bhakts dream about  a lotus garden, it is not in the immediate agenda. When co-option can yield result, why go for an outright acquisition? The fact is that West Bengal is now the last frontier for the saffron brigade to capture and Didi is the last defense against them. And right now she is hopelessly cornered . Her own party leaders are not opening their mouths because all of them are compromised with different court cases. And many of them are not averse to switch loyalties too, in due course. Her long standing fight with the Left also denies her of open support from a large section of the educated middle class who are just watching the fun, as they always do. But the lady is fighting back as she has always done for a major part in her life.

Her personal image is her biggest asset . In spite of being surrounded by self serving politicians facing corruption cases of various degrees , people by and large still believe in her personal integrity , unlike the Behenji from UP or the Late Amma. That she is pro poor and acceptable to all castes and communities is her another plus point. She may be mercurial and whimsical but by herself, she has not been shy of taking decisions. She may be cold and calculating in her ambitions but also displays a softer and more earthy side of personality which endears her to the masses.  The saffron think-tank knows this very well. And they are using all resources that they can muster to break the wall of Bengal.

This announcement of reward for Didi's head is not meant to threaten her. This is directed to terrorise her followers and the common people. This is the naked assertion of open menace - " See we are not as powerless as you think. Even if we can't get her, then it will be you. "  The people of West Bengal are in for very troubled times.  The state has seen the worst of carnage , riots, famines and refugee problems during the last 100 years in multitudes. We tend to forget all this . But these events don't forget to leave their impressions deep inside the psyche of people. And at vulnerable points of its journey, history repeats itself.

Beneath the surface of apparent communal solidarity there is always an undercurrent of old wounds which have never been allowed to heal by vested interests for vote-bank politics. All the sins of the past will now catch up with these so called secular parties. It is up to the people now to organise themselves against the attempts to destabilise the social fabric. And whether one likes her or not, Didi is now the only option to rally behind, if the people really want to resist the bloom of the poisoned flower which can only bring devastation in its wake.