CM seeks to corner BJP on statue faux pas - Mamata says Amit Shah visited a tribal farmer’s home in Bankura only to ‘show-off’

 The tribal freedom fighter, religious leader and folk hero Munda has suddenly assumed the centrestage in the battle between the Trinamul Congress and the BJP in Bengal after Shah paid floral tributes to the statue of an anonymous tribal hunter, which his party had identified as that of Munda.

Mamata Banerjee speaks at Khatra in Bankura on Monday: Rupesh Khan

Meghdeep Bhattacharyya   |   TT   |   Calcutta   |   24.11.20  :  Mamata Banerjee on Monday pulled no punches against Union home minister Amit Shah and his party over their alleged lack of understanding of and sensitivity to tribal people, and more precisely to Bengal.

Ending her silence on the BJP’s faux pas over foremost tribal icon Birsa Munda in Bankura earlier this month, the chief minister attacked the saffron ecosystem before announcing an annual holiday in the state starting next year on the birth anniversary of the freedom fighter.

“He (Union home minister Shah) had garlanded a statue... later, you people told me that it was not of Birsa Munda at all, but that of a hunter. I respect hunters, they too are my brothers. But why would you lie like this, that too about such an icon?” asked Mamata at a state government event in Khatra, Bankura.

The tribal freedom fighter, religious leader and folk hero Munda has suddenly assumed the centrestage in the battle between the Trinamul Congress and the BJP in Bengal after Shah paid floral tributes to the statue of an anonymous tribal hunter, which his party had identified as that of Munda. A photograph of Munda was kept at the feet of the statue in the last minute, after the blunder was pointed out by tribal outfits.

“You will demolish the statue of Ishwarchandra Vidyasagar. You will make mistakes about Rabindranath Tagore. You will pay tributes to an anonymous statue and claim it is of Birsa Munda…. This is simply not right,” said the Trinamul chief.

Although the faux pas drew criticism from tribal organisations, the BJP’s state unit – responsible for the mistake – has been trying to put up a brave face and its chief Dilip Ghosh has said — much to the dismay of tribal organisations — that everybody must now consider it a statue of Munda, because Shah had paid tribute to it.

On Monday, Ghosh stuck to his guns and said that adivasis were with the BJP and not Trinamul.

Ghosh was correct on the decisive tribal support his party managed to garner in the general election, which gave it five of the six Lok Sabha seats in the tribal-dominated Jungle Mahal region of the state, including leads in 31 of the 45 Assembly segments there.

Mamata was equally unsparing on Shah over his luncheon at the home of a tribal farmer in Bankura’s Chaturdihi on November 5.

“A few days back, our honourable (Union) home minister came here, although only to show off. The food for him was brought from outside… five-star hotel and whatnot… by a cook from elsewhere. The person (Shah’s tribal host) has a daughter with a serious disease. He thought he would get help but he (Shah) told him that he would only have lunch at his home,” said Mamata.

Shah had the lunch at the house of Bibhishan Hansda, 12km from Bankura town. Hansda was unable to speak to Shah about the problems he faces over the treatment of his 17-year-old diabetic daughter. After the state administration came forward with help, the BJP state leadership announced that the girl would be taken to the AIIMS in Delhi for treatment.

“My Scheduled Tribe sisters were shown cutting vegetables that he did not eat at all. Even the rice was expensive Basmati from a five-star hotel, besides posto’r bawra (poppy-seed fritters),” said Mamata.

Reacting with outrage, BJP state chief Ghosh alleged that the Trinamul chief’s 26-day hunger strike against the anti-land acquisition in Singur — a landmark in her political career — was “fake”.

On Monday, before the event, Mamata met residents of Benkia, a Scheduled Caste-dominated village in Bankura’s Khatra. She sat in a charpoy and interacted with the villagers, regarding whether they had been benefiting from the state government’s many schemes. She said later that it was not a pre-planned visit, unlike those by the likes of Shah.

At the event, she announced a new state-wide programme — Duarey Duarey Sarkar (The government at every doorstep) — to enhance administrative reach-out to the rural masses and sort out their problems ahead of the polls. As part of the programme, camps would be up between December 1 and January 30 in each of the state’s 341 blocks, with officials of every key department.

“If any person visits a camp and informs us about a facility they are yet to get, the officials would ensure it is provided. If it is not possible at that time, priority lists would be made,” she said.

The chief minister kept asking the people to keep the faith in her and attacked the BJP over its “anti-people” policies. “Many political parties would come before the elections and will deposit money in your accounts…. You can accept the money but don’t vote for them,” she said, holding the Centre responsible for the surge in prices of essential edibles.

“There are one or two bad people everywhere, but there are so many good people…. I will serve the people till I die. For after that, I will create a team, to serve the people of Bengal in my absence,” she added.