Nagenchand: - At last, after 34 years, Bengal has turned green now. Mamata Banerjee and her TMC party members have totally whitewashed CPI (M) in this assembly election of 2011.
Mohua: - Yeah, this can be termed as the ‘Tornado of Transformation’.
Arindam: - Ha ha ha…I think that either you people are over-excited or totally getting carried away after witnessing the victory of Mamata Banerjee in Bengal. Do you really think that Mamata Banerjee and her party members have real caliber or talent to bring some rapid transformation in Bengal? I don’t think so! Mamata Banerjee will first start finding all the flaws that existed during the era of CPI (M) rule and then instead of rectifying those flaws, she will start putting the blame on CPI (M). As a net result, the loopholes will remain as it is and the common man of Bengal will keep on suffering.
Nagenchand:- To some extent, I agree with you that Mamata Banerjee is not as efficient as a political leader like Narendra Modi, but still there is some hope of development in Bengal due to this political change.
Saswati: - Where is the money? The entire state of West Bengal is running on debts. Even if Mamata Banerjee wants to change the infrastructure of Bengal, she can’t do it rapidly due to the shortage of funds.
Arindam:- That’s just a silly excuse to escape from responsibilities. Look at Bihar, Jharkhand, Chhattisgarh and Orissa. Were these states having too much money in their treasuries? The answer is a big no. Then how have they managed to increase their GDP within a short span of time! Have you people ever thought of that?
Venkatesh:- Ha ha ha…you are bang on target, dude! Actually, these states have slowly and steadily kept focusing more on industrialization keeping a good balance with the agricultural development. In this age of globalization, you cannot totally ignore industrialization even if your state is in No.1 position in terms of agriculture. When you give opportunities to the industrialists to open their factories or offices at your state, it will automatically raise funds for your state’s treasury. Moreover, it will increase employment. Automatically, it will increase the income of the people and hence the purchasing power.
Mohua:- But, it will also increase inflation and the gap between the poor and the rich people will keep on increasing.
Nagenchand:- Let there be inflation. RBI is there to control it. In any rapid developing economy, there will be inflation but up to a certain limit. Today, Bangalore, Hyderabad, Mumbai, Delhi as well as Chennai are developing much faster than Kolkata. In those cities, inflation is an issue, but you also have to agree that the lifestyle and income disparity factor of the common man of those cities have also improved a lot. Still today, Kolkata cannot be fully regarded as a metropolitan city except few areas like Esplanade, Park Street and Gariahat.
Venkatesh:- Also the psychology of Kolkata people should change. Look at the pathetic condition outside Howrah and Sealdah station! At least, in our Bangalore city, we have a fantastic bus terminus outside the Bangalore station. Also, our Bangalore city looks so clean and disciplined. But, the people of Kolkata don’t even bother to keep their city clean and hygienic. Hawkers are the vote-banks of both CPI (M) and TMC. Therefore, these hawkers have full right to sit anywhere with their selling products. No one is going to file objection against them. As a result, there is chaos everywhere from subways to stations to roads of Kolkata. Even the buses that ply on the roads of Kolkata are of sub-standard type in respect to the buses of other metropolitan cities.
Saswati:- Give her some time. I am sure that she will surely transform Kolkata into an International City of Asia.
Arindam:- Probably, you are too optimistic in this regard. I don’t even expect that Kolkata will be totally interconnected with Metro Railways by 2013. Forget Mamata and her TMC for a second. The real problem lies with the Bengalis itself. Bengalis are yet to come out of that ‘Crab Culture’ psychology. Whenever anyone tries to bring some development in any particular region of Bengal, there are some intentional clashes to gain political momentum. Take the case of Mamata Banerjee only. She protested against Ratan Tata while CPI (M) was in power, but just after coming to power in Bengal, Mamata is requesting TATA group to set up their factory in Singur. What does that prove? Both Mamata Banerjee and Buddhadev Bhattacharjee always fought amongst each other with some silly issues like the crabs.
Mohua:- Silly issues! When CPI (M) cadres were killing poor villagers in Nandigram, was that a silly issue?
Arindam:- Accha! When the Maoists group of Bengal derailed two rails and killed several innocent people that were not an issue at all! One thing, you have to agree that you cannot clap with your one palm only; the other palm is also responsible to produce that clapping sound. That’s the tragedy in Bengal.
Nagenchand:- But, now, I think that the Maoists will come back to the main streamline if Mamata can bring some development in jungle areas.
Venkatesh:- Yeah, I agree with you. But, it is not an easy task because both Orissa and Jharkhand is having rapid development and their government is trying hard to reduce the labour cost and increase the net profitability of core industries, whereas, in Bengal, the manufacturing sector is almost dead. Revival of all the manufacturing sector factories will be a good strategy to adopt at the initial stages; otherwise, the Bengal Express will have to see too many red signals on its journey.
Arindam:- Bengal still has Darjeeling and Digha, but, nowadays, people prefer to visit Gangtok and Puri. So, Sikkim and Orissa is earning and Bengal is in a loss. Assam Tea Gardens have already thrashed out the Darjeeling tea gardens in terms of their tea quality and the infrastructures of tea gardens. What to say about Education and Health. It is totally corrupted from top to bottom. Mamata Banerjee is the Chief Minister of Burnt Bengal.
Saswati:- Please don’t take it otherwise. But, don’t you people think that infiltrations from Bangladesh are ruining the economy of West Bengal. The Muslims of Bangladesh are like parasites for the population of West Bengal. CPI(M) was so liberal in this regard that even the Bangladeshi terrorists are hiding safely in West Bengal.
Venkatesh: Oh! That’s a problem. See, people of India always say that BJP is the communal party of India, but actually, in certain cases, you require swadeshi and patriotic parties like BJP, RSS, Bajrang Dal and Shiv Sena. At least, they are the only parties who will safeguard their motherland in the time of crisis. Look at Gujarat. Narendra Modi has done such a development in that state that even a conservative Muslim casts his valuable vote to Narendra Modi, whereas CPI(M) and Congress proudly declares that they are the secular parties of India, but, more than 62 years have gone after 1947, still today, the Muslims are regarded as the vote-banks. Quotas after quotas are declared in every financial year, but no planning is done to economically uplift the living standard of poor, illiterate Muslims of India. At least, Narendra Modi of Gujarat has improved the lifestyle of Gujarati Muslims, though people regard Narendra Modi as a communal person.
Arindam:- Ha ha ha…at least Narendra Modi doesn’t require to do marketing as a secular politician. Another major problem of Bengal is the Port management. Haldia port is already facing tough competitions from the new ports of Orissa. Orissa is trying hard to welcome all the trading ships. As a result, the trading department of Bengal will suffer a lot. On the other hand, the soil erosion of sundarbans is a major concern now. Unless the Bengal government gives a green signal to a major ecological project for sundarbans, the Royal Bengal Tigers will really have a tough time to survive in that Indian delta.
Mohua:- Accha, what about Alipore zoo? Kolkata badly needs a big zoo. In all other metropolitan cities, the zoos have become mini reserve forests and they are earning revenues by attracting more visitors. But in Kolkata, we have a small zoo, which has already lost its past glory. Not a single animal is happy inside that Alipore zoo.
Nagenchand:- Even I have heard that the forests of North Bengal are totally getting mismanaged by the forest officials. Every now and then, we hear that some wild animals have been poached in the North Bengal forests.
Venkatesh:- Accha, is there any agitation going on in the hilly areas of North Bengal? Someone was saying that day, that a new state of Gorkhaland may be formed by dividing a part of North Bengal.
Saswati:- No, no, not at all. You have to understand the basic thing. Why are they agitating; because no development took place in those areas for 34 years? The same is the condition in Purulia and West Midnapore also. If Mamata Banerjee can bring development in these areas, then surely Bengal will remain as a single state only.
Arindam:- Hmm…the new finance minister of Bengal is as qualified as the former one, but the former one had a tendency to declare losses in every financial budgets. At least, I hope that this time the new finance minister of Bengal will come out with healthy revenues and earnings in every financial budget and it is very much possible.
Venkatesh:- Yeah, it is possible. See, Bengalis are one of the smartest communities of the world but somehow they don’t channelize their brains towards profitability, but use it in negative purposes. That’s why; Bengal lost its past glory. The world has seen the Burnt Bengal since 1990’s, now let us hope for a Beautiful Bengal under the administration of Mamata Didi.
Mohua:- Yeah, the journey from “BURNT BENGAL TO BEAUTIFUL BENGAL” had just begun. Just enjoy this thrilling journey.
Arindam:- Ha ha ha…ok, ok, we will surely enjoy the journey, but before that we also need to apply for an insurance cover for this journey. Who knows! After all, it is still the Burning Bengal and its corrupted Bengali psychology. Bon Voyage to the common man of Bengal!
