Mamata Banerjee looms large in omission

Anshuman Phadikar, Meghdeep Bhattacharyya, Calcutta, Nandigram(Bengal): On Bihar poll results day, a political drama of a possible rift in Trinamul played out in Bengal through parallel events in Nandigram held in memory of martyrs of the anti-land acquisition movement.

Differences in Trinamul became apparent as state transport minister and party heavyweight Suvendu Adhikari and his followers appeared on the “apolitical” dais of the Bhumi Uchhed Pratirodh Committee (BUPC) to pay tributes to the martyrs, staying away from a hurriedly organised event by Trinamul for the same cause later in the afternoon.

Suvendu, who is apparently disgruntled with Trinamul for apparently not getting his due, did not mention chief minister Mamata Banerjee in his speech.

From the Trinamul dais, senior leaders Firhad Hakim, Purnendu Bose and Dola Sen obliquely attacked Suvendu, who was the main draw at the BUPC event.

At 11am, Suvendu took the BUPC dais at the Gokulnagar High School Ground, Tekhali in Nandigram. The event, announced weeks ago and carried out annually since 2008, saw a turnout of around 35,000 to 40,000 people.

Referring to the separate — and inaugural — Trinamul event, Suvendu asked in a largely anonymous diatribe, why Nandigram was being remembered after 13 years. The question was linked to absence of senior Trinamul leaders in the annual event that he has been presiding over for years.

The minister, who played a key role in the anti-land acquisition movement in Nandigram, did not even mention Mamata Banerjee once, peppering his speech with remarks that seemed to be laced with sarcasm towards the ruling establishment.

“If you come before the elections, you also have to come after them…. We will meet in the battlefield, on the platform of politics. That battle will be won by the people, by democracy. Suvendu Adhikari does not have fear,” he said.

Land movements in Singur and Nandigram proved pivotal to Mamata’s political career and propelled her to power in 2011.

Suvendu, now 51, is one of the tallest leaders of the ruling party and is part of its seven-member apex steering committee as a general-secretary.

His father Sisir Adhikari is the Contai MP, one of his brothers Dibyendu Adhikari is the Tamluk MP, and another brother Soumyendu Adhikari is Contai’s civic chairman.

“BUPC zindabad, Nandigram zindabad, Joy Bangla, Bharat Mata zindabad…. Political analysts have been craving for a political statement from me from here. But I will not say anything political from this holy dais,” said Suvendu, flanked by brother Dibyendu, Khejuri MLA Ranajit Mondal, Contai North MLA Banasri Maity, Nandakumar MLA Sukumar De and Moyna MLA Sangram Dolui.

Panskura West MLA Firoja Bibi, however, attended both events.

“I will say what I have to say from an appropriate platform. Which path I can take smoothly, without falling into the gutter, I will specify from such a platform. Where I have been tripping, where my road is filled with potholes, where I have been facing difficulties, I will say everything, but not today,” said Suvendu.

‘Don’t aid BJP’

At 3.30pm, in Nandigram’s Hajrakata, the Trinamul event began. Organised on a 24-hour notice, it was attended by around 8,000 people.

On the dais were urban development minister Firhad Hakim, technical education minister Purnendu Bose, Rajya Sabha member Dola Sen, Ramnagar MLA Akhil Giri, Patashpur MLA Jyotirmoy Kar and East Midnapore zilla parishad’s deputy chief Sheikh Sufian.

Contai MP and Trinamul chief in East Midnapore Sisir Adhikari, Suvendu’s father, was conspicuous by his absence despite receiving an invitation.

“Never before was Mamata Banerjee ignored on the BUPC platform. For the first time, not only was her picture missing, even her name was not mentioned. That’s why we had to organise a separate programme here…. The BJP only divides, the BUPC should do the opposite,” said Sen.

Bose said the Nandigram movement was historic and the crème de la crème of civil society from across the country had joined it because of Mamata. “Her leadership sustained the movement. Those who dare to omit her dare to forget history,” said Bose.

Bose said everybody ought to remember that Mamata’s picture over their head and its absence made a great deal of difference.

Hakim, like Adhikari a general-secretary and member of the seven-member apex steering committee of the party, said he and the others would have attended the BUPC event had they been invited, like in the previous years.

“Don’t do anything to strengthen the BJP, which is what you do if you try to weaken Mamata,” warned Hakim. “Like there cannot be India without Mahatma Gandhi, China without Mao Zedong, Russia without Vladimir Lenin, one must never forget that there cannot be Bengal without Mamata Banerjee.”

Murmurs of Suvendu’s dissatisfaction with Trinamul, coinciding with the rise of party chief Mamata Banerjee’s nephew Abhishek, have been doing the rounds for some time now, with many BJP state unit leaders claiming that it was only a matter of time that he would join the saffron camp. Some sources however said that Suvendu might form a separate political party that joins the NDA. Last week, when asked about Suvendu at a news meet in Calcutta, Union home minister Amit Shah dodged the question.