Superstar Mithun Chakraborty joined the BJP during the party’s massive rally at the Brigade Parade Ground in Kolkata. Following the announcement, Trinamool Congress has come out in strong criticism of the actor who was once a Rajya Sabha MP from their party.
TMC MP Sougata Roy said, “Mithun Chakraborty is not a star of today. He is a star of yesteryears. He has changed parties four times. He was originally a Naxalite, then went to CPM, then he joined TMC and was made a Rajya Sabha MP.”
Sougata Roy went on to claim that Mithun Da was threatened by the BJP with the Enforcement Directorate. He added, “BJP threatened him with cases by Enforcement Directorate and he left Rajya Sabha and now he has joined BJP. He has no credibility, no respect, and no influence among the people.”
Mithun Chakraborty, after joining BJP, said about his decision of joining Trinamool Congress, “Trinamool made me an MP. I left and I will not point fingers at anyone. I will not say whose fault it was. I will say that it was my bad decision. We must end this discussion here.”
“I will have to hold someone’s hand if I have to fulfill my dream. You can call me selfish but there is only one reason behind my selfishness, I want to be with the poor people. I want to stand by the poor people. I want to fight for the poor people,” he said.
He told reporters, “BJP is making the government, that is for sure and if we can all fulfill Prime Minister’s dream that we will be able to make Sonar Bangla, then I will be the proudest man.”
Prime Minister Modi addressed the humongous crowd at the ground where he announced that the BJP wants ‘real poriborton’ in West Bengal. The state is set to go to polls on the 27th of March and the elections will be held in the state over right phases.
The Brigade Parade Ground was the site of BJP’s historic rally in Kolkata where Prime Minister Modi addressed a massive crowd, one of the largest ever, ahead of the West Bengal Assembly Elections. The ground occupies a unique space in Indian history and has been the site of numerous events on momentous occasions.
Alok Bhatt, founder of the adventure tourism venture, Nature Connect Outdoors based in Uttarakhand, recalled the historical significance of the Brigade Parade Ground in a Twitter thread on Sunday. The ground is under the control of the Indian Army’s Eastern Command Headquarters and has the iconic Victoria Memorial in the background.
The ground was initially meant to be the parade ground for British East India Company forces stationed at Fort William following their victory at the Battle of Plassey.
Britishers developed this ground as a parade ground for the forces stationed at Fort William after it began marshal long its troop there following their victory in the battle of Plassey (June 1757)- primarily towards second half of 18th century! pic.twitter.com/BI1jZZPB93
Deshbandhu Chittaranjan Das organised a protest at the ground against the Rowlatt Act during the rule of Colonial India. After Indian independence, Prime Minister Nehru held a public reception for Soviet leaders Nikita Khrushchev and Nikolai Bulganin at the Brigade Parade Ground.
On 25 Nov, 1955, sea of humanity on lush green Brigade ground hosted Bulganin & Khrushchev- the two men, who from that point onwards went on to write a new chapter in world history- with Nehru, Bidhan Roy and Ajoy Ghosh playing a perfect host! pic.twitter.com/9K8njGqRrq
Then, following India’s victory against Pakistan that led to the formation of the independent state of Bangladesh, Mujibur Rehman, Prime Minister of Bangladesh, addressed an event at the invitation of Indian Prime Minister Indira Gandhi. Rehman raised the slogan of “Jai Bharat, Jai Bangla” to pay tribute to the sacrifices made by Indian soldiers towards the independence of his country.
West Bengal then was witness to the rise of the Left Front in the state. Communists organised numerous rallies at the ground, managing to fill the site to the brim.
Revolutionaries, professing allegiance to various branches of Left were spraying blood in the remote corners of the state and party leaders- led by Basu- kept filling Brigade ground with men & women holding red flag of liberation: this image from 87 defines that phase best! pic.twitter.com/LFvtDMApPg
Consistent with the revolutionary history of the Brigade Parade Ground, Mamata Banerjee organised a historic rally in November, 1992 as a leader of the Youth Congress. 19 years later, she would go on to become the Chief Minister of West Bengal.
Mamata Banerjee organised one of the most talked about rallies of Brigade ground – youth Congress rally on November 25, 1992 and that was the start of Left’s downfall…… pic.twitter.com/nhiYkcRmbr
Many years later, Prime Minister Modi addressed a crowd with the smell of ‘poriborton’ in the air. It appears that the BJP is set to add another prominent leaf in the remarkable history of the Brigade Parade Ground.
A ground that has seen massive rallies for Indian independence to Communist rallies was on Sunday reverberating with slogans of Jai Shri Ram.
In the 1970s, China showed signs of the possibility of engagement with the Western World as it introduced economic reforms. It aimed as becoming a pillar for the global economy. Later, when China joined the World Trade Organisation, it became evident that the Dragon wanted to become relevant in terms of the world economy. It started participating actively in international organizations, and the economic changes in the country made it possible for it to come out of poverty. It took only a couple of decades for China to become a hub for manufacturing and a large global market.
What Western Countries believed was far from the truth
When China began to engage with the western world, it was believed that the U.S. policies aimed at integrating China with the global economy were working. The U.S. tried to tie China to the western world through bonds of trade and finance, hoping that when connected to the U.S., the Chinese society will have a chance to become more open. It was believed that the communist government of China would become a partner in global affairs.
China projected itself open to change and communication. The Chinese citizens started moving more freely, and hundreds of thousands of Chinese students started taking admission in western universities that was seen as a positive sign. As per reports, 372,000 Chinese students were in the U.S. during the 2019-20 session.
However, according to Michael Schuman, a journalist who had lived in China for over two decades, the average citizens in China are completely at the mercy of the government of CCP. It was evident that the Dragon was far from changing. During former President Barack Obama’s late years, there was minimal response from China to the engagement attempt initiated by the U.S. President Xi Jinping showed no interest in addressing the U.S.’s concerns about their unfair treatment of the American companies.
China’s oppression of Uyghurs
Reports suggest that back in 2014, re-education efforts in Xinjiang started to take shape as an experiment, and by 2017 the efforts were drastically expanded. Between August 2017 and August 2018, it was found that 39 concentration camps holding Uyghurs almost tripled in size. The world does not know what exactly happens in these camps. A few videos and reports have surfaced in the last few years that give a glimpse of the atrocities that Uyghurs have to face in these camps. Experts can only join the dots and assert what exactly is going on as China has categorically denied all allegations of any human rights violations when it comes to Uyghur Muslims or any other community in China per se.
Reports have suggested that the camps have prison-like conditions. The Chinese government has installed cameras and microphones to monitor its movement. They are being ‘re-educated’ to allegedly disconnect them from their religious faith and to teach them how to be ‘loyal’ to China and its communist government. Some reports have suggested that the female detainees had to face sexual abuse and rape. Some detainees committed suicide, while others have witnessed detainees committing suicide.
China is also using members of the Uyghur community as forced labour. Reports have suggested that between 2017 and 2019, over 80,000 Uyghurs were transferred to different parts of the country as cheap labour. Interestingly, several western companies have knowingly or unknowingly been using these forced labourers at their factories in China. In February 2021, 12 Japanese companies, including Toshiba and Sony, announced they plan to snub China for forcible employment of Uyghur Muslims.
China’s way of using technology is a major concern
In the last few years, several reports have clearly shown that the Chinese government is using technology to oppress its citizens. Alarmingly, it is not limited to Chinese citizens as China is allegedly using technology to increase its control across the globe. From throwing Uyghur Muslims and other ethnic Muslim minorities in concentration camps to increase surveillance on its own citizens while developing technology to identify Uyghurs among the crowd, the dark aspects of China’s growing ambitions have become a threat to the world.
China has been blamed for illegally collecting the data of millions of people around the world for years. In September 2020, a report by Christopher Balding and Robert Petter et al suggested that China has collected information on over 2.4 million people worldwide that included 10,000 people from India. What was more concerning that around 20% of the information collected by China was not in the public domain, and it could have only been collected using hacking.
China’s mass surveillance state
China has been investing extensively in developing an AI-based surveillance system. Several patent applications filed by Chinese companies in association with the Chinese government have shown how precise its system is. There were reports that China was also developing an AI-based system to identify good behaviour among its citizens so that it can incentivize it.
While the Chinese have tried to justify surveillance in the country on the pretext of national security, it has become a threat to civil liberty, privacy and freedom of speech, which anyway is non-existing in the country. Recently, China has blocked the Clubhouse app as it gave space to people from China, Hong Kong etc., to speak up about the atrocities of the Chinese government freely. China has blocked every possible social media application and developed its own apps to ensure its citizens cannot speak ill of the government.
Chinese oppression of Hong Kong’s democratic rights
Hong Kong is protesting against China for months, and it has no plans to stop anytime soon. On the other hand, China is far from giving Hong Kong a free hand to run the country independently. Recently, China passed a wide-range of security law for Hong Kong, making it easier to punish the protestors. The key provisions in the law included life imprisonment for crimes of secession, subversion, terrorism and collusion with foreign forces, punishment for companies convicted under the law, damaging of public property to be considered an act of terrorism, cases to be tried in mainland China and more.
The most alarming aspect of the new law is that China will have the power to decide how the law would be interpreted. It also made it easier for the Chinese government to wire-tapped people of interest. The law is applicable not only to the people of Hong Kong but to the citizens of other countries living in Hong Kong.
Is it time to decouple from China?
China is not in the mood to listen to any western concerns. It is not paying heed to any concerns raised by the United Nations against the treatment of Uyghurs. Several countries, including the U.S., UK, Canada, Netherlands, and India, have shown concerns over possible espionage attempts by the Chinese government in recent times.
India has not only blocked Chinese apps but is also attempting to reduce Chinese investments in government projects. India has tightened its rules related to Foreign Direct Investment from neighbouring countries as an attempt to reduce Chinese penetration in the Indian market. Countries like the U.S. and U.K. have decided not to use Chinese companies for 5G roll-outs in the country, and other nations follow in the footsteps.
As China has become a visible threat to the global economy, the best idea would be to disengage with China in all possible aspects. In the last few years, China has rooted itself as a global hub for technology. To decouple, it is essential to identify and develop other markets as future technology hubs so that China’s thumping progression is at least slowed down if not stopped.
On Sunday, Prime Minister Narendra Modi addressed his first rally at Brigade Parade Ground ahead of the West Bengal assembly elections. PM Modi’s rally was the culmination of the BJP’s “Parivartan Yatra”, and more than 10 lakh people had reportedly attended the rally.
Addressing the massive gathering at Kolkata, Prime Minister Modi said that the iconic Brigade Parade Ground has been witness to many great leaders and has also seen people who have disrupted West Bengal’s progress. PM Modi also said that the people of Bengal never left their hopes for change.
This Brigade Parade Ground has been witness to many great leaders and also witnessed those who have disrupted West Bengal’s progress. People of Bengal never left their hopes for change: PM Modi in Kolkata pic.twitter.com/CH4ILL9ACZ
Slamming Chief Minister and Trinamool Congress chief Mamata Banerjee, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said that West Bengal relied on her for ushering in a change, however, she broke the trust and insulted people of the state.
“Bengal needs Shanti, Sonar Bangla, Pragatisheel Bangla,” said Prime Minister Narendra Modi at Kolkata’s Brigade Parade Ground. PM Modi also said that time has come for Bengal to achieve ‘Asol poriborton’.
The dream of ‘sonar bangla’ will be fulfilled. Today, I have come here today to assure you of Bengal’s development, to increase investment here, to protect Bengal’s culture and to bring change: Prime Minister Narendra Modi, in Kolkata pic.twitter.com/h85gDwaoDT
Addressing the huge gathering, PM Modi said in this election, the left parties, Congress, TMC and their anti-Bengal attitude is one side, while the people of Bengal are on another side. The dream of ‘Sonar Bangla’ will be fulfilled, said PM Modi, while adding that he has come to Bengal to assure the state’s development, increase investment, and protect Bengal’s culture.
2021 election will be first step of progress in next 25 years, says PM Modi
PM Modi said the next 25 years are crucial for Bengal to recover from the damages of the last few decades, and the 2021 assembly election will be the first key step towards that goal.
“The next 25 years are crucial for the development of Bengal. The development here in the next 5 years will lay the foundation for State’s development in the next 25 years,” he added.
#WATCH | I have come here to make you believe in ‘Asol Poribortan’. Belief in Bengal’s development, in change of Bengal’s situation, in increasing investment & industries in Bengal, & in the reconstruction of Bengal: PM Modi pic.twitter.com/BZqfkDQ7OJ
“When India celebrates 100 years of Independence, Bengal will once again be in a position to lead the nation’s growth,” said PM Modi.
Pitching his development mode to seek votes in the upcoming election, PM Modi appealed to the voters saying that he had come to Bengal to make you believe in ‘Asol Poribortan’. “I have come here to make you believe that we’ll work hard for farmers, businessmen & the development of sisters and daughters. We will live every moment to fulfil your dreams,” he added.
PM Modi attacks Mamata, says she chose to take care of only her nephew
Launching a scathing attack on the West Bengal government, PM Modi said that it is very well how the democratic system has been destroyed in Bengal. Appealing to voters, he said that BJP would strengthen this system and will bring the change to re-establish public belief in government systems, in the police, and the administration.
Targeting Mamata Banerjee, PM Modi said while the whole of Bengal made Mamata its Didi, she only ended up being Pishi (aunt) to her bhaipo (nephew Abhishek Banerjee). The people of Bengal are asking only this one question from you, said PM Modi.
“They made promises to work for ‘Maa, maati, manush’. But you tell me, has TMC been able to bring change in the lives of common people here in the last 10 years?” asked PM Modi.
#WATCH | You are well aware of the condition of ‘Maa, Manush, Maati’. Mothers are being attacked on streets and in their houses. Recently, the cruelty unleashed on an 80-year-old mother has shown their cruel face to the entire country: PM Narendra Modi pic.twitter.com/OHEXCTlt3L
Highlighting the deteriorating law and order situation in the state, PM Modi said, “You are well aware of the condition of ‘Maa, Manush, Maati’. Mothers are being attacked on the streets and in their houses. Recently, the cruelty unleashed on an 80-year-old mother has shown their cruel face to the entire country.”
The Prime Minister’s statement came against the backdrop of the recent barbaric attack on a BJP worker and his 80-year-old mother by the TMC workers in Nimta in North Dum Dum city.
PM Modi mocks Mamata’s scooty drive, says she ran away from Bhawanipore
Taking a dig at the recent theatrics of Mamata Banerjee, who had unsuccessfully attempted to ride a scooty and failed, leading to a massive embarrassment, PM Modi said that when Mamata Banerjee rode a scooty, everyone was praying that she was not hurt. It is good that she didn’t fall, otherwise, you would have made the state as your enemy, where the scooty was manufactured.
#WATCH | Your (Mamata Banerjee’s) scooty took a turn towards Nandigram instead of going to Bhawanipore. Didi, I wish everyone well and don’t want anyone hurt. But what can I do if the scooty is destined to fall in Nandigram?: PM Narendra Modi pic.twitter.com/OycJdytWNk
The Prime Minister also mentioned how Mamata Banerjee took a turn towards Nandigram instead of contesting from her current constituency Bhawanipore. “Didi, I wish everyone well and doesn’t want anyone hurt. But what can I do if the scooty is destined to fall in Nandigram?” asked PM Modi.
Making serious allegations against Mamata Banerjee for deviating funds allocated to cyclone relief, PM Modi said that the government is experienced in corruption and play a lot and have done innumerable corruption. They have looted the people of Bengal and even plundered the relief money sent for Amphan, said PM Modi.
“The money that Centre is sending for the welfare of the poor in Bengal is being blocked by the state government. Didi does not want to work and not let anybody else work as well,” said PM Modi in his rally.
Tolabaazi, syndicate, commission cut! You have done so many scams that a ‘Corruption Olympics’ game can be organized. You have played with the hard-earned money of the people and their lives: PM Narendra Modi in Kolkata pic.twitter.com/kivWpQnE0j
Mocking Mamata Banerjee-led government, PM Modi said that the government was indulging in corrupt means through “Tolabaazi, syndicate, commission cut”, and it was befitting for them that a ‘Corruption Olympics’ game can be organized in the state. You have played with the hard-earned money of the people and their lives, PM Modi said.
“You’ve pushed Bengal towards separation instead of development, and thus the lotus is blooming. You’ve divided people into religious lines, and thus the lotus is blooming,” said PM Modi.
PM Modi pitches development, asks people to vote for BJP
Concluding his speech, PM Modi said he knew Didi for ages, and she is not the same person who raised her voice against the Left. She speaks someone else’s language now and is being controlled, PM Modi said. Urging the Bengali populace to vote for the BJP in the elections, PM Modi said that the party’s goal is not just to change power in West Bengal, but we want Bengal’s politics to be development-centric.
“Show anger, words should be audible across India”, PM Modi asked the people of Bengal to put an end to corruption, unemployment in the state of West Bengal.
PM Modi attacks Mamata over appeasement politics
Pointing out the growing appeasement politics of the Mamata Banerjee-led TMC government, PM Modi said the mantra of governance is to support everyone, their faith and development and not just by appeasing some sections of the society.
He said once appeasement stops, there will be equitable development, thus stopping the illegal intrusion into the country.
जहां सबका साथ, सबका विकास, सबका विश्वास शासन का मंत्र होगा।
The Kolkata was the first of the Prime Minister’s 20-odd rallies scheduled to be held in the state ahead of the assembly elections. The rally also comes a day after the party announced its first list of 57 candidates for the polls. Two days before, the incumbent Trinamool Congress had announced its contestants for the 291 constituencies while leaving three seats for its ally Gorkha Janmukti Morcha.
The Congress party has aligned with the left parties and radical Islamic cleric Abbas Siddiqui’s ISF to take on the TMC as well as the BJP in the battle for Bengal. The eight-phase Assembly polls for the 294 Assembly seats in West Bengal will begin on March 27. The results will be announced on May 2.
Mithun Chakraborty, the very famous veteran actor, has joined Bharatiya Janata Party. His presence at PM Modi’s rally in Bengal speaks volume. Best known for his unmatchable dance moves, boy-next-door looks and unique style, Chakraborty has won the hearts of millions.
Interestingly, during the last years of his career, he chose to do some low budget films like Gunda that were nowhere close to the mainstream Hindi film industry, but his presence in the films created a cult of followers who love such films. His dialogues have found their way to memes that further increased his popularity among the new generation.
Mithun’s Naxal connection
There is an old saying, “If you’re not a communist at the age of 20, you haven’t got a heart. If you’re still a communist at the age of 30, you haven’t got a brain.” Mithun was also one of those young minds that became part of the Naxalite movement. He was born in a lower-middle-class Bengali family, and during the late 1960s, like thousands of Bengali youth in their 20s, he also joined the communist party and Naxal movement.
Mithun Da ultimately quit the movement due to the death of his brother in a freak accident before eventually ending up in the film industry. But before leaving Naxalism for good, Chakraborty had a close connection with Charu Mazumdar, a fiery Naxal leader and Ravi Ranjan alias Bhaa. Interestingly, Bhaa was famous for his oration and manipulative skills. When police started a crackdown on Naxals in West Bengal, Mithun went into hiding and remained a fugitive from justice for some time.
After his brother’s death, though there was a chance of him being arrested, Mithun decided to leave Naxalism and return to his family. He joined the Film and Television Institute of India (FTII) in Pune, which he believed had helped exorcise the demons from his Naxal-connected past.
However, the label of being a Naxalite was not that easy to go. Before he could land in Mumbai (then Bombay), his name was already a topic of discussion among the film fraternity. Fortunately, he did not have to spend a lot of time looking for work and ended up doing Mrigaya in 1976, for which he also won his first National Film Award for best actor. By 1982, when his song ‘I am a Disco Dancer’ came out, he became a well-known name across the country.
There was, though, one film that made him anxious and reminded him of his Naxal past. He was offered the lead role in The Naxalites that was released in 1980. It was based on the movement he was part of. He was first reluctant to accept the offer as he believed it would bring back the memories of his dark past but eventually, he ended up doing it. The film did not do well at the box office.
Political connection ran through Left, TMC and now BJP
Mithun Da’s political journey goes back to the time of the Left. During the 1980s, Mithun had close connections with Subhas Chakraborty, which led to him hosting Hope ’86, an event organized to raise funds for flood relief. Mithun managed to bring big Bollywood names like Amitabh Bachchan and Rekha for the show that improved the image of the Left Front government at that time.
Mithun Chakraborty was in such close proximity with the CPM government that every time it organized a fundraising event, he would do free shows. However, with the death of former CM of WB Jyoti Basu, he started to distance himself from CPM.
When legendary actress Suchitra Sen died, he was in Kolkata. At that time, the head of Trinamool Congress, Mamata Banerjee, offered him a ticket at the Keoratala crematorium in January 2014 during the last rites of the actress. He became a Rajya Sabha member in February 2014. However, he resigned from his post in 2016.
On the day he joined BJP, i.e. March 7, 2021, he said, “What I did not dream was that today I will be on the same stage with such luminaries and in only a matter of time that the leader of the world’s biggest democracy, Prime Minister Modi Ji, is coming on the same stage as well. What is this if not a dream?”
PM Narendra Modi addressed a massive rally in Kolkata today, as part of the campaign for the assembly elections. While the party had estimated that 10 lakh people will attend the rally at the Brigade Parade Ground, reportedly the crowd exceeded that number by a large margin, and the rally organisers had a tough time maintaining discipline at the historic venue.
During his speech, PM Modi took jibes at West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee several times. He mentioned that recent electric scooter ride by the CM in protest against the rising fuel prices when she was about the fall. The PM said, ‘when you drove a scooty few days ago, everyone was praying that you remain ok, that you are not injured. It is good that you didn’t fell, else you would have attacked that state where that scooty was manufactured. You would have made that state itself your enemy.’
After that Modi taunted the Mamata Banerjee for changing her constituency from Bawanipur to Nandigram, and said that she will lose her election. ‘Your scooty has turned towards Nandigram instead of going to Bhawanipur’, he said. The PM than added, ‘we wish good for everyone, we don’t want that anyone is injured. But if your scooty has decided to crash in Nandigram, what can we do?’
जब आपकी स्कूटी भवानीपुर जाने की बजाय नंदीग्राम की तरफ मुड़ गई।
दीदी, हम तो हर किसी का भला चाहते हैं, हम नहीं चाहते किसी को चोट आए।
लेकिन जब स्कूटी ने नंदीग्राम में ही गिरना तय किया, तो हम क्या करें।
The prime minister also responded to the constant attack by Rahul Gandhi and others alleging him of helping only his ‘friends’ like Adani and Ambani. He turned the allegation on its head, and said that yes, he helps his friends, adding that poor in the country are his friends. ‘Opposition parties say that I work for my friends, we all know that among whom we spend our childhood, with whom we play, read, they are our true friends. I also grew up in poverty, and that’s why I understand the problems of the poor,’ the PM said. He added that he does not need to read books or watch videos of pictured to know about poverty in the country, because he can feel it by his heart.
‘That is why, I work for my friends, and I will work for my friends’, the PM added. He said that his government has given 90 lakh gas connections to his friends in Bengal, has provided free electricity connection to over 7 lakh friends in Bengal, has made toilets in more than 60 lakh households of his friends in the state. He added that all his friends in West Bengal have been benefited by various schemes of the central govt.
My opponents say that I work for my friends. Who we grow up with are our best friends. I grew up in poverty hence I understand the plight of poor people living in every corner of India. I work for my friends & will continue to do so: PM Modi in Kolkata pic.twitter.com/bpHHVlBCJj
PM Modi said that tea workers are his special friends, as he has special relation with tea. He informed that it has been decided that tea workers will get the benefits of social security schemes.
Continuing with ‘helping his friends’, Modi said that when everyone was troubled by the Coronavirus pandemic, the poor were most affected. He said that when Coronavirus came to the country, he provided free ration, free gas to each of his friends, and deposited crores of Rupees in their bank accounts. In the world the Coronavirus vaccine is expensive, but in India I have arranged for free vaccinations at government hospitals for my friends, he added.
‘brothers and sisters, who are my friends, you are my friends. 130 crore Indians are my friends. Every youth working hard with a dream is my friend, everyone born in a poor hut is my friend. When my friends repay the debt of my friendship, these people have a problem’, the PM saying, referring to people voting for BJP for its welfare schemes. He also added that when he tries to work for his friends, these people try to stop that, referring to the West Bengal government refusing to implement several central schemes in the state.
Prime Minister Modi addressed a massive crowd on Sunday at the historic Brigade Parade Ground in Kolkata. It was easily the biggest BJP rally in the state with an astonishing gathering to hear the Prime Minister speak. What was evident from the scenes is that, it was not merely a political rally. It is a revolution. And riding the wave is the BJP and Narendra Modi himself.
Narendra Modi made expected jibes at Trinamool Congress and the Left Front but his words made it clear that the BJP’s vision of ‘Poriborton’ is vastly different from the cry of ‘Poriborton’ Mamata Banerjee had given voice to during the campaign for the 2011 Assembly Elections in the state.
When BJP says ‘Poriborton’, it does not merely mean its intention to change the ruling dispensation. The party means that they will change the political culture of the state itself. Therefore, a major focus of Prime Minister Modi’s speech revolved around ‘Aashol Poriborton’. What it means for the future of Bengal only the future could ever tell for certain. But what is clear is that, should the BJP manage to win this year, West Bengal must be prepared for radical change.
Bengal Resurgent
Narendra Modi began his speech at Brigade Parade Ground hailing Bengal’s role in the independence of the country and the million sacrifices the state has made towards India’s freedom. He lauded the heroes the soil of Bengal has produced over the centuries.
“Bengal has illuminated our Sanskriti. Bengal has breathed life into the Indian independence movement. Bengal has made India proud through its contributions in the field of science and knowledge,” the Prime Minister said.
The Prime Minister hailed Kolkata as a source of immense inspiration for the whole country. He vowed to protect the culture of West Bengal and herald the rebirth of the state. The message from the podium was clear. The BJP will make the years to come an era of Bengal resurgence if voted to power.
Shyama Prasad Mukherjee smiles from above
One of the stalwarts of Bengal who has been largely ignored by all political parties in the state is Shyama Prasad Mukherjee. A Hindutva ideologue, he was relegated to the dustbins of history by the Congress party, the Left Front and also, the Trinamool Congress.
The BJP seeks to rectify that. Narendra Modi, while lauding the heroes Bengal has produced over the years, also made sure that Shyama Prasad Mukherjee finds his mention. The Prime Minister mentioned Swami Vivekananda, Shri Aurobindo, Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose but most significantly, he mentioned the Bengali stalwart who has been sidelined by the rest of the political parties.
The mention is significant because it is the clearest indication of the cultural shift the BJP has ushered in since the Saffron Surge in the state. Shyama Prasad Mukherjee ensured that West Bengal remained in India and for that, he deserves due credit. Since other political parties refused to do so branding him “communal”, it has fallen upon the Bharatiya Janata Party, the ideological successor of the party founded by the stalwart, to carry forward his legacy.
‘We will return what Bengal has lost’
There is a great sense of loss that every Bengali feels. West Bengal was great once upon a time. Bengal has produced some of the greatest heroes India has ever seen and helped shape the destiny of not only the Indian subcontinent but the world at large.
But it cannot be denied that since independence, Bengal has fallen from its perch. Bengal has watched silently as other states jumped forward in leaps and bounds. Where Bengal was once at the forefront of realizing the Indian dream, it has now been reduced to petty politics and self-destructive activism.
Narendra Modi promises to change that. He promised at Brigade Parade Ground, ‘We will return what Bengal has lost’. The message will clearly find great resonance with voters in Bengal who do feel great resentment at the manner in which numerous political parties have played with the state.
The message is likely to find much greater resonance among Bengal voters than the ‘Bohiragoto’ narrative Mamata Banerjee has attempted to pursue. Linguistic chauvinism and regional chauvinism is unlikely to find credence with voters because it is an element that is completely alien to Bengal politics.
What ‘Aashol Poriborton’ means
Prime Minister Modi emphasised that their goal is not merely to change the government in Bengal, it’s plan is much more ambitious than that. He said that West Bengal should remember how they were conned by different political parties time and again.
First, it was the Congress party after independence, then came the Left Front and to replace them came Trinamool Congress. But together, they have merely presided over a concerted decline of Bengal over the years.
The remedy to that, Narendra Modi proposes, is development. Jobs for its youth, eradication of corruption and focused governance is the path forward for the state over the next 25 years, a period he said is extremely important for the future of West Bengal.
Jobs, no more injustice, Sonar Bangla is the BJP’s credo going into the elections. And in the hallowed pantheons of Bengal’s heroes, Shyama Prasad Mukherjee will be given his due credit.
China’s Cultural Counsellor in Pakistan, Zhang Heqing on Saturday tweeted a video of a Chinese girl dancing with a caption urging women to remove their hijab so he could see their eyes.
Many Pakistanis pointed out that this tweet of his might have damaged the Pakistan-China relationship.
This is an awful statement. But If Chinese goes on like these Islamophobic statements than Pak-China relation will not end on good terms… But we must realise that stupid people like him are there who want to create misunderstandings. Better to reports him to Chinese government
Some even asked him to respect the Pakistani culture.
Mr. @zhang_heqing hijab is very much part of our islamic values , ridiculing while holding a key position in Pakistan is shocking. We condemn it & demaning u to delete this tweet. Hope u will respect our vslues.@AnsarAAbbasi@TalatHussain12@MoulanaOfficial
Some Pakistanis urged the authorities to take action against the Chinese national residing in Pakistan and insulting Islam.
This is a chinese official based in pakistan talking against a subject which is an integral part of the islamic religion.I hope the @ForeignOfficePk takes strict action against him. https://t.co/noodUf37t3
Superstar Mithun Chakraborty joined the BJP on Sunday at BJP’s Brigade Parade Ground rally in Kolkata. He said that it was a dream come true for him. The actor, during his short speech, also belted out some of his popular dialogues, sending ripples of excitement across the gathered crowd.
He said, “Today is like a dream for me. I come from a place which was in the midst of nowhere. If I could not associate it with some place else, the postman could not recognise. And there, I dared to dream that I will achieve things someday.”
He continued, “What I did not dream was that today I will be on the same stage with such luminaries and in only a matter of time that the leader of the world’s biggest democracy, Prime Minister Modi ji, is coming on the same stage as well. What is this if not a dream?”
Mithun Chakraborty also said that he has always dreamt of working for the poor and dedicating his life to their surface. He said that he feels that his dream will be realised soon.
Taking a jibe at Mamata Banerjee’s ‘Bohiragoto’ politics (insider-outsider narrative), Mithun Chakraborty said, “Remember Deshbandhu Chittaranjan. Remember Rani Rashmoni. Remember Vidyasagar. They are the real Bengalis. I consider anyone born in Bengal as Bengali. And if anyone tries to deny your rights, some such as myself will always be with you.”
The superstar also delivered one of his most famous dialogues, “Maarbo ekhane, laash porbe shoshane (I will hit you here, your corpse will land at the crematorium).” Another dialogue he delivered was, “Ek Chhobole Chhobi (A single sting is enough to kill).”
