If, the Governor of West Bengal's statement (or is it Paschim Banga???), "today is the true poribartan (change) that our chief minister promised a year ago" reflects change, then the state is doomed. As it has been for the last 30 odd years. Not to forget Mamata's slightly exaggerated description of the significance of the victory - "Bengal is proud. The victory of the Knight Riders is
like a victory of the world". Not the championship, not the sport, not the country. The world.
In a crass, disgusting display of deriving mileage out of a nothing affair, the state government has clearly shown its abilities and intentions to rule what is quickly becoming a failed state in India. Mamata Banerjee personifies the incompetence, irrelevance and ignorance, that has driven the state into insignificance.
Just watching her move around the stadium, handling the mic, giving instructions to senior policemen (who should have been working instead of managing what was essentially a corporate party) stirred extremely strong feelings of despondency. What a waste of time of the chief minister's office, of the many policemen, doctors, fire officials deployed. An absolutely unnecessary exercise undertaken to hide the shortcomings of the present government in Calcutta. Just because SRK is the brand ambassador of the state, does the government owe him a celebration of this scale. In fact, has it even earned the right to celebrate anything? To put things in perspective, one has to just look at the debt, unemployment and other development parameters in the state.
But why blame Mamata alone. She did what any politician does, exaggerate whatever little emotion people have. And what can one say about the people of Bengal?! The people seem to have no work and poured out in celebration as if Brazil had won another soccer world cup. I really think its the desperation of the people, an overreaction stemming from being left out of the progress and prosperity seen across other metros. What shame. The city famous for its attitude towards work, where siestas are romanticized and where strikes take up most of the working calendar, saw the capital come to a stand still because a team bearing their name won a cup. One needs to ask, do they really deserve any better.
Some might argue and compare the fans' celebrations in Calcutta with those witnessed in European countries post important soccer victories. But they seem to be more driven by a particular sport than the amplified satisfaction of 'we' won something. Are they really that desperate, or as Swapan Dasgupta said in a debate today, the state has not had any real reason to celebrate in a long time.
It is time people woke up to the impending disaster the state is moving towards. With the chief minister in no mood to even discuss governance, with increasing vendetta against the opposition, with growing intolerance for disagreements, there needs to be urgent course correction. They need to put things in perspective. Instead of celebrating a stupid, bastardized version of cricket, they should really be trying to extract more out of the government.
With Mamata running wild in the state, painting cities blue, arresting professors, terming students Maoists, there is little hope for the state of Bengal. After the many decades of plunder by the Communists, can the state really afford another five years of misrule?
In a crass, disgusting display of deriving mileage out of a nothing affair, the state government has clearly shown its abilities and intentions to rule what is quickly becoming a failed state in India. Mamata Banerjee personifies the incompetence, irrelevance and ignorance, that has driven the state into insignificance.
Just watching her move around the stadium, handling the mic, giving instructions to senior policemen (who should have been working instead of managing what was essentially a corporate party) stirred extremely strong feelings of despondency. What a waste of time of the chief minister's office, of the many policemen, doctors, fire officials deployed. An absolutely unnecessary exercise undertaken to hide the shortcomings of the present government in Calcutta. Just because SRK is the brand ambassador of the state, does the government owe him a celebration of this scale. In fact, has it even earned the right to celebrate anything? To put things in perspective, one has to just look at the debt, unemployment and other development parameters in the state.
But why blame Mamata alone. She did what any politician does, exaggerate whatever little emotion people have. And what can one say about the people of Bengal?! The people seem to have no work and poured out in celebration as if Brazil had won another soccer world cup. I really think its the desperation of the people, an overreaction stemming from being left out of the progress and prosperity seen across other metros. What shame. The city famous for its attitude towards work, where siestas are romanticized and where strikes take up most of the working calendar, saw the capital come to a stand still because a team bearing their name won a cup. One needs to ask, do they really deserve any better.
Some might argue and compare the fans' celebrations in Calcutta with those witnessed in European countries post important soccer victories. But they seem to be more driven by a particular sport than the amplified satisfaction of 'we' won something. Are they really that desperate, or as Swapan Dasgupta said in a debate today, the state has not had any real reason to celebrate in a long time.
It is time people woke up to the impending disaster the state is moving towards. With the chief minister in no mood to even discuss governance, with increasing vendetta against the opposition, with growing intolerance for disagreements, there needs to be urgent course correction. They need to put things in perspective. Instead of celebrating a stupid, bastardized version of cricket, they should really be trying to extract more out of the government.
With Mamata running wild in the state, painting cities blue, arresting professors, terming students Maoists, there is little hope for the state of Bengal. After the many decades of plunder by the Communists, can the state really afford another five years of misrule?
