From ‘Bengal in danger' to ‘Bengalis in danger', Mamata Banerjee's new narrative before 2026 polls
Historians often identify Quaid-e-Azam a.k.a. Muhammad Ali Jinnah, as the master of crafting the right political narrative for the time and circumstances. His changed political narrative from 'Muslims in Danger' to 'Islam is Danger' is perceived to have played an important role in achieving his larger goal of a separate nation of Pakistan.
Not in that larger political perspective, like that of Jinnah, but Mamata Banerjee's narrative is definitely changing, becoming narrower and concentrated.
Until the last Martyrs' Day rally on July 21, 2024, her focused campaign was on how the BJP and the Union government had been attempting to destabilise the socio-economic structure of 'Bengal' by freezing central funds under various Centrally sponsored projects. Till last year, her line against the BJP was also focused on how the Union government was trying to project 'Bengal' in a bad light by unleashing Central agencies on any issue in the state.
So, in a nutshell, till last year, Mamata Banerjee's victim card was 'Bengal' as a state. However, with the successful and statistics-backed counter-campaign by the BJP justifying the freezing of Central funds because of rampant corruption in the implementation of Centrally-sponsored projects in West Bengal, her victim card of 'Bengal' as a state has lost much of its punch with time.
Before the last Martyrs' Day rally ahead of the state Assembly elections next year, Mamata Banerjee has floated her new political narrative, which is 'Bengalis in Danger', where she is exploring multiple angles to establish her changed political narrative. In her new perspective, not 'Bengal' but 'Bengalis' is the new victim card.
The first angle is alleging harassment of Bengali-speaking people after being branded as illegal Bangladeshi infiltrators in BJP-ruled states, where her focus targets are the state governments of Assam and Odisha.
The second angle is branding the proposed special intensive review by the Election Commission of India (ECI) as a ploy to slap NRC in West Bengal, as well as to delete several Bengali-speaking voters not only in Bengal but also elsewhere.
The third angle accuses the BJP and the Union government of interfering in the food habits of Bengalis. A recent advisory issued by the Union health ministry asking for the display of boards at various workplaces to raise awareness on the ill-effects of consumption of hidden fats and excess sugar in various food items is being used by her to spread the anti-BJP campaign on food habits.
Political observers feel that the underlying aim behind this changed political narrative of Mamata Banerjee is to create threat-perception among the voters of West Bengal that with the BJP in power in the state, 'Bengali culture, Bengali food-habits and Bengali lifestyle will be in danger'.
However, her underlying aim behind floating this new political narrative seems to have been rightly identified by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. While addressing a political rally at the industrial township of Durgapur in West Burdwan on July 18, the Prime Minister accused the West Bengal government and the ruling dispensation of making the lives of original Bengalis of West Bengal miserable by encouraging illegal infiltration from neighbouring Bangladesh.
The Prime Minister said that while Bengalis are being treated with respect in the BJP-ruled states, in their own state of West Bengal, they are suffering because of the patronage that the illegal infiltrators have been receiving from the ruling dispensation and the state administration.
'The illegal infiltrators are being provided with fake Indian identity documents in West Bengal. The entire ecosystem has been developed in West Bengal to encourage illegal infiltration. These illegal infiltrators are threats to national security. They are threats to Bengali culture. Trinamool Congress had put the honour of the state at stake just because of narrow political motives,' the Prime Minister said.
Now, it is to be seen how Mamata Banerjee replies to this allegation from the Prime Minister in her address at the Martyrs' Day rally on Monday.
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