litany of lies promoting sycophancy over talent:
Respected
Mahua Madam,
The role of opposition in a democracy
can be quoted very aptly through the words of Walter Lippmann which goes as the
following, “In a democracy, the opposition is not only tolerated as
constitutional, but must be maintained because it is indispensable.” Being
a learned member of parliament of the largest democracy in the world, I am sure
you are very well aware of it. But your recent comments on the non-residential
Bengalis as published in Anandabazar Partika are very unfortunate to say the
least. Expats supporting the party are often deployed to defend the
shortcomings. Whereas those raising questions against the Bengal government are
being projected as uprooted (rather than non-residential) Bengalis. This derisive
attitude is very unbecoming of your stature and against the spirit of
democracy.
In your recent writing, you have put
forward a lot of data from across the globe. I would like to remind you some
data from our own state of West Bengal. Our population is 7.54% to that of
India. If the national percentage of COVID19 testing is to be followed, West
Bengal should have carried out 43,720 tests whereas only 9880 tests have been
conducted which is 442% less (at the time of publication of original Bengali
article in Bangadesh on April 28th). Can you kindly explain why the
numbers of COVID19 tests being carried out in central research centres were
reduced? What steps were undertaken by the government to increase the number of
daily tests? In the recent past, CM Mamata Banerjee had said that her
government is considering the possibility of a partial relief of lockdown. But
how could the situation become so dire within such a small span of time? Did
the government not have enough information at hand? When the lockdown started,
the Bengal government seemed to have set up isolation centres almost in a war
footing. But as soon as the videos depicting mismanagement of these isolation
wards went viral, the use of mobile was banned. Thanks to social media, news of
closedown of Hospital units and midnight funeral of possible COVID19 victims
(often without informing the kin) has come forward. Do the people of Bengal
have no right to raise these questions?
As you have compared Gujrati and Bengali
expats in your writing, it is necessary to bring forth some hard facts.
Gujratis go across the country primarily for business and travel across the
globe for business or job. Whereas Bengalis cannot set up business within their
own state. Syndicate, non-payment, high handedness are constant impediments
that vitiates the environment. Scores of industrious Bengalis have gone
bankrupt due to these troubles, what has the government done to improve the
situation?
Also
the job prospect looks equally dire within the state. As soon as Mamata Banerjee
came to power, she stopped SEZ and took a stand against FDI. Land is not being
allotted; even the port construction on Bay of Bengal has been stopped. There
are no four lane state highways; land is not being allotted for national
highways. Jiagunj-Azimgunj bridge construction has not finished in 10 years due
to legal problem with only 1 katha of land!! Metro rail was not allowed to
invest 50% (like in other states) nor is the land being allotted, airport
expansion was halted. Land was not provided
for Kolkata Delhi freight corridor. No
significant investments have come in even after 4 industrial summits. Neither
industrialization has taken place, nor is there focus on infrastructure
development. The last hope people had was government service. Now with the
rampant corruption, that has also become a distant not so feasible dream for
most. RICE, MICE coaching centres are on the decline as pupils are quickly
losing faith in the exam.
The first IIT, IIM, IISWBM, ISI in India
were set up in West Bengal not Gujrat. Centre government constructed Teesta,
Farakka, DVC in Bengal, whereas Gujrat payed for Sardar Sarovar Dam out of
their own pockets. Gujrat did not have centre funding for industrial hubs like
Durgapur, Haldia, Kharagpur, Saltlake, Kalyani etc, we did. But today, Gujrat
is successful because their successive governments have worked for the state.
Whereas Bengal, after suffering three decades of communism was already a sick
state, Mamata Banerjee government has fared hardly any better.
We
are researchers living abroad and we would love to return to our state and work
for her development. But sadly, the present environment in West Bengal promotes
sycophancy than talent. The pay scale of doctors in Bengal is equivalent to
that of nurses at AIIMS. The humungous failures of the state government are
beyond comprehension.
It is true that the total number of
COVID cases is higher in Gujrat, but at least they are being transparent with
their numbers, unlike Bengal. The present regime in Bengal is trying hard to
suppress the numbers thinking of electoral politics rather than the health of
the people of Bengal. It is only expected that concerned citizens will ask
questions when a state government eyes for electoral politics at the time of a
global pandemic.
Lastly, we may be expats, but a lot of
us are Indian citizens and we have a democratic right to ask questions to the
government of the day. At least we are not demanding a UN monitored referendum
like our CM did in case of an internal matter like CAA.
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