The Cartoon Conspiracy And Merciless Mamata!

Mamata Bannerji threw the Left government in West Bengal—an eastern state of India—out of power in 2011 after its marathon rule of 34 years. She got an overwhelming majority for her party Trinamool Congress (TMC). Trinamool means grass-root and Mamata Bannerji—the Chief Minister of West Bengal—has been firing all guns to uproot what she calls Leftist ‘conspiracies’.

First, the new Chief Minister got unnerved by an unceasing stream of baby deaths in many hospitals across the state. Instead of going into the root of the problem she conveniently decided to identify the Left as the root-cause. Not only that, she dismissed cases of dastardly crimes against women in her capital Kolkata as made-up ones thanks again to some leftist roots of the victims.

Second, Mamata wanted to initiate an era of change in the state by dictating to public libraries to stop subscribing to newspapers linked to political parties other than hers. Disturbed by the specter of deep-rooted communism in the state she also decided to erase Marx and Engels from all school textbooks. ‘This is arrogance…intolerance…suppression of freedom of speech…dictatorship! Democratic traditions are being rooted out!’ cried the citizens and intellectuals of West Bengal who were the first in India to bask in the renaissance.

Third, so rooted to reality the new Chief Minister was she objected to everything done by India’s coalition government at the centre of which TMC is a dictating partner, be it in the social or economic or internal security or technology and science sector. She even sacked her own party’s Railway Minister at the centre for the crime of presenting a good and sensible railway budget.

And the latest, Mamata Bannerji got one professor of a reputed university of Kolkata beaten and arrested for taking part in presenting and forwarding a cartoon in the internet. The cartoon depicted a narrative regarding her sacking of the Railway Minister and putting in one of her faithful party men as a replacement.

Cartoons are very common in the lives of Indian politicians. They may hate to see themselves in those satirical cartoons on a daily basis, but they also realize the publicity generated by such works. They also believe candidly that in a democracy you must learn to laugh at yourself. So practical indeed!

But Mamata Bannerji only saw a ‘conspiracy’ in the act and a supposed attack on the modesty of a woman. A cyber crime against women! In fact, the cartoon was a creative work based on famous characters of a Satyajit Ray film which could hardly even be understood by the so-called ‘conspirators’. Public outrage broke out across the country with huge cries of protest by the netizens in particular, but Mamata continued to defy. As public opinion in her own state became too strong for her to ignore she tried some damage control by allowing four of the gang who assaulted the professor to be arrested. But they were released on bail immediately while the professor was kept in lockup for a full night. And, the professor feared for his life with an incredibly large number of charges lodged that could put him in jail for at least one year. Mamata’s antics have attracted international reactions too. Not only this professor, but Mamata Bannerji also arrested an eminent molecular biologist Partho Sarothy Ray and kept him in custody for over two weeks now for a protest rally he did not attend. Apart from scientists all over even ‘arguably the most controversial intellectual alive’, Noam Chomsky had written to the Prime Minister of India to intervene in this growing intolerance against academicians in West Bengal. 

Mamata in many Indian languages means ‘love or kindness’. Driven, of course, by the urge to ‘change’, if Mamata becomes merciless our democratic roots will definitely get jolted at the very grass roots, you wonder! And, this ‘change’ has been attempted by someone who claims to belong to the ‘grass-root’. Such a confounded confusion of roots!

Even if you admit Left conspiracies are there, the very thought about the possibility of  ‘right’ conspiracies taking  deep roots would send shivers down your spine.

HAPPY RONGALI Or BOHAG BIHU!

Rongalior Bohag Bihu marks the beginning of the Assamese New Year from the first month of the Assamese calendar called Bohag normally falling on April 14 and 15—the first day belonging to the cattle and the second being the New Year Day for the Assamese people. Rarely, but this year the dates are 13 and 14 April, 2012. Since this Bihu also welcomes the advent of the Spring season it is called Rongaliwhich means fun and frolic. Therefore this Bihu is also known as the Spring Festival of Assam. As nature takes on a lush green look people too go for new cloths and celebrate in unison with nature. This is the biggest of the three Bihus and one of the biggest festivals of Assam.

Bohag Bihu is mainly observed for three days, but celebrations go on for one full week. First day is called ‘Goru Bihu’ meaning a day dedicated for the cattle. Villagers acknowledge the great service of their prized cows and buffaloes by taking them to ponds or rivers for ceremonial bath. They are showered with garlands of select vegetables that are also fed to them. The animals are tethered with new ropes and are wished long lives of service as ever.

Second day is called ‘manuh bihu’ meaning Bihu for humans. This being the first day of the New Year people take ritualistic baths and wear new colorful dresses. They visit neighbors and relatives and also welcome them home with special Bihu delicacies. 

Young boys and girls break into Bihu songs and dances wearing traditional costumes. With the rhythm instrument called dhol and the music of the buffalo-horn pipe called pepa the environs resound and resonate. Cultural festivals consisting of song and dance competitions are organized for seven days and celebrity artistes are invited to enthrall the joyful Bihu revelers in the late evenings. All such festivals are held in open grounds. In major towns cultural events attain great professional standards and lucrative awards are given to the competition winners. Groups of boys and girls also go from house to house performing husori meaning a special Bihu group song and dance. Husori is also presented professionally on stages and competitions are also held all over Assam and even outside by resident Assamese communities.

The third day is dedicated to the deities.

People of Assam look forward to these seven days of fun and frolic and celebrate with Great Spirit. All communities irrespective of caste and religion participate with hearts set free and unbound. The month of Bohag also marks an auspicious time for avid lover couples to get married!

Even after seven days the celebrations do not stop! The people of Assam also have more unique celebrations lined up for bidding a fond farewell to Bohag too! The hub of all funfair is naturally Guwahati—the capital of Assam—and also all other cities and rural areas.  
 

Happy Rongali or Bohag Bihu and 

Happy New Year to All of You! 

Brave Bus Driver Delays Death To Save Lives!

He was on night duty on Kutarpada-Chahada road stretch of western Maharashtra that Tuesday night—the 10^th of April, 2012. He spent most of the night inside a bus and was assigned to drive a bus for the Kutarpada-Palghar route on the Mumbai-Ahmedabad highway early next morning. There was nothing special about the trip for a senior bus driver and he was ready like on any other day.

Naushad Mohammed Hanif Shaikh had been working in the Maharashtra State Road Transport Corporation (MSRTC) since the last 18 years as a driver. He had no record of even a single accident in those years of service and there was not a single passenger-complaint against him. Around sixty passengers boarded his bus for Palghar on that morning and the journey began on a bright note.

It was smooth going and Naushad was handling the dangerous twists and turns in the hilly road track quite easily with the skill of an experienced bus driver. The destination was just over five kilometers away when the pain hit him.

Naushad felt an excruciating pain in his chest suddenly and it was getting severe by the seconds. He was gasping for breath at the wheel of a running bus with 60 passengers on a tricky road track. He did not panic or call anybody for help. His priority was to keep the bus in full control and ensure safety of his passengers. He defied his pain and concentrated on his immediate duty.

With that crushing pain, dizziness and breathlessness Naushad Shaikh drove on for nearly three kilometers more and finally parked the bus safely on a roadside. Only then he cried out in agony and called the bus conductor for help.

The bus conductor and all of the passengers rushed to him. Naushad just managed to mumble about his chest pain and just died on the wheel. The frantic conductor messaged the MSRTC office at Palghar and a vehicle was sent immediately. Naushad was rushed to a hospital, but was declared brought dead.

In his situation anyone could have panicked putting the lives of all the passengers in grave danger. But the brave, dutiful and dedicated driver fought heroically to delay his own death to save other lives. The contrast comes to our mind about a rogue driver who recently went berserk with his bus in busy Pune city streets hitting, killing and maiming helpless pedestrians and passengers in other vehicles. But the matter of serious concern remains—the ever growing stress levels in professions like bus drivers and police constables making heart disease, behavioral changes and suicides commonplace occurrences.

Hats off to a courageous person and let us pray for the eternal bliss of his noble soul. He would be dearly missed by his family of five daughters and two sons, the transport organization and the passengers. Two of his daughters were to get married next month. MSRTC officials assured of adequate compensation for the brave driver’s family and employment opportunity for at least one member of kin.

It is mainly because of jewels like Naushad Shaikh that our planet is still a wonderful place to live and breathe in.