‘We’ll play an important role in national politics’

Mamata Banerjee took time out in the middle of her busy schedule to speak to TOI” would be an understatement and a cliché. For, a week after her massive victory, the crowd keeps flowing into the Kalighat compound. There are, of course, politicians, celebs (percussionist Bikram Ghosh and classical singer Rashid Khan, whose son is less in awe of the CM than the more celebrated dad), footballer-turned-politicians (Syed Rahim Nabi has brought in a bevy of star-struck Maidan football stars) and business guild members, who stand out in their white shirts and with their expensive smart phones.
But the known faces are swamped by the uninvited, unheralded arrivals from places as far as North Dinajpur and Sagar Island, who have undertaken up-to-15-hour journeys and then go through long queues and metal detectors to meet their Didi and gift her whatever they could bring, mostly flowers and sweets from neighbourhood shops.
In the middle of all this (and playing the perfect host to TOI, offering momos from a takeaway, tea and coffee in tasteful earthen bhars and mihidana and langcha from Shaktigarh), Banerjee explains why she is angry and what she would like to do for “Ma, Mati, Manush” in her second stint as CM.
Q: So how does it feel after the extra-long ?
A: It was a long campaign that lasted more than three months. We were not at all happy with the schedule. We respect the EC but we feel having six-seven days of elections was not required. We are thankful to Ma-Mati-Manush. This is a victory for the people, this is a victory for development. This is a victory for peace and communal harmony. We want to thank the people of Bengal. They are the biggest pillars of democracy.
Trinamool won 184 seats in 2011 but we were in an alliance. This time, the CPM, the Congress and the BJP came together with an agenda to defeat us. The entire opposition was united against us. But people have given us a huge victory. They are our strength.
Q: Are you happier with the Trinamool’s return to power or are you happier with the CPM’s gradual descent into oblivion? Do you think this is the end of the road for the CPM in WB?
A: This was an alliance of opportunism. Their objective was to grab power. The alliance did not have any ideology. Ideology-less politics is no politics at all. The Congress does not know who its friends are. The CPM has lost everything. And the BJP also has not done well. The people have given them a strong message.
Q: But there can’t be any vacuum in politics. Who do you think will occupy the opposition space? Will it be the Congress or will it be the BJP or will it be a little bit CPM, a little bit Congress and a little bit BJP in different areas?
A: There is no difference between the three parties. Their only goal was to try and defeat Mamata Banerjee and stop development in Bengal. We are ideologically opposed to the BJP. So there is no chance of supporting them. CPM, Congress and BJP have an understanding. They are afraid of us. We will play an important role in national politics in future. People are with us.
Q: But the continuing violence gives your government a bad name. Why aren’t you coming out more openly against violence on the ground?
A: Our party is not involved in any violence. Trinamool is the most disciplined party. Even during the elections, when law and order was under the jurisdiction of the Election Commission, many of our party workers were killed. People have not yet forgotten the massacres in Nandigram, Singur, Netai, Keshpur and Garbeta. The memories of Sainbari, Marichjhanpi, Bantala, Dhantala, and Ananda Margis being burned, who can forget those dark days? 50000 people were killed in political violence during CPM rule. How many of them got justice? Even FIRs were not lodged in the past. Now, even if our partymen are involved in crime, they are arrested.
Q: Practically every home now has someone working outside. Earlier, it used to be the educated upper and middle classes going abroad for better education and/or job (say, the Amartya Sen class). But now, increasingly, even the lowermost class is quitting Bengal. There are now places in Kerala that have bus routes and advertisements in Bengali. You must be concerned?
A: It is wrong to say the industry is not coming to Bengal. Bengal’s growth rate (12.2%) is higher than the national average (7.3%) right now. Employment opportunities have been created for 69 lakh people. Bengal’s growth in the industrial sector is 10.5%, that of India's is 7%. Bengal's growth in the service sector is 13%, India’s is 9%. The Economic Survey of the government of India says the lowest inflation in India is in Bengal. Expenditure on physical infrastructure has grown six times in the last four-and-a-half years. Revenue collection in Bengal has doubled in four years.
Q: Which is going to be the first big industry house that will now come to Bengal?
A: Industry does not only mean heavy industries. Bengal leads in terms of bank loans given to the medium and small-and-medium enterprises sector. Four hydel projects are coming up in north Bengal. NTPC is investing in the Katwa plant. A new power plant is coming up at Sagardighi. India’s largest coal block, Deocha Pachami, will create huge employment opportunities. The days of loadshedding are gone. Isn’t this a matter of pride?
Q: Are you concerned with the law-and-order situation? What will you do to prevent para-level extortion? Again, this gives your party a bad name.
A: Law and order has improved in Bengal. Kolkata is the safest metro for women. We have built 89 new police stations, including 35 women’s police stations. Jangalmahal is smiling now. There is peace in the Hills. Family feuds, disputes between neighbours, clashes between clubs are portrayed as crimes committed by TMC.
Q: Voters, on the whole, may have rejected corruption as an issue but, if you see the margins of victory in Calcutta and urban areas, are they not a cause for worry? This is the class that was your earliest backers.
A: This is all created by a section of the media. We are an honest, transparent party. Of course, in every family not all members can be perfect. One or two members may be bad. But that does not mean the whole family is bad. There may be some problems in 10 blocks out of 400 but that can be resolved. I am overseeing the entire organisation.
Q: Which department has worked efficiently? Which department has, according to you, failed to perform?
A: All our ministers performed well. We have done more than what we promised in our manifesto. Despite the huge burden of debt, we have worked tirelessly for people. We have increased our revenue income but the centre has taken away over Rs 1.5 lakh crore from our coffers.
Q: Do we expect wholesale changes in the cabinet?
A: Be patient (smiles), wait for a few hours.
Q: Will you change your style of functioning? Will you be even more hands-on (like your ‘Consider me to be the candidate in all 294 seats’)?
A: We have conducted 105 meetings at the BDO level in districts. Earlier, people had to come to Kolkata for work but now the secretariat goes to people. We have developed a three-tier administration — BDO-DM- CMO — like we have the three-tier panchayat system. We are committed to the socio-economic development of people and will continue to work for them at the grassroots level.
Q: Do you think you have gone wrong somewhere? Is there anything you would have done differently now?
A: We have fulfilled 99.99% of the promises we made in our manifesto. Soon after assuming office in 2011, we passed the Singur bill. Although we did our part, the matter is still pending in court. It is our commitment to return the land to unwilling farmers. We will fulfil it.
Q: What hurts you the most? Do you feel hurt by the snobbery of a class of people?
A: Yes. I have been in politics for several decades now but I have never seen so much of hate campaign, abuses and conspiracies. There were attempts to mislead people. This is shameful for politics. There was a smear campaign against us for the last two years. Canards were spread. There should be a Lakshman Rekha in politics. We must stay within democratic and constitutional limits.
Q: What is your message to the people of Bengal?
A: We are thankful to them for rejecting the smear campaign and conspiracies. They are my strength. We will keep serving them and take Bengal to newer heights of development. We will do what it takes to make Bengal Biswa Bangla.