Mamata's cherished march to Delhi

AS I was going by car to my hotel in the city centre from Kolkata's new airport on January 27, I noticed a large number of banners posted everywhere saying “Chalo, Brigade Chalo.” Each banner invariably carried a large picture of Mamata Banerjee, chief minister of Paschimbanga and leader of Trinamul Congress (TMC). Wherever I went in Kolkata, I found people talking about the meeting of TMC at the Brigade ground scheduled for January 30.
Mamata left no stone unturned to orchestrate the biggest show in Kolkata ahead of the Lok Sabha election. Schools around Dharmatala were either closed or rescheduled. Special trains were arranged and thousands of buses and trucks hired to bring supporters from all corners of the state. Guesthouses and godowns in Kolkata were booked for overnight stay of the supporters.
As I was leaving Kolkata for Santiniketan early in the morning of January 30, I noticed a big crowd in the Brigade ground. Thousands of empty buses were parked around the area. Supporters were coming in processions from all directions, chanting slogans and carrying pictures of Mamata. 200 giant screens were set up across Calcutta to beam the show live. Another 19 screens were at the Brigade ground. Renowned singers and dancers of Kolkata performed on the stage to entertain the crowd.
I missed Mamata's speech, but read it in the newspapers next morning. With a firm grip on Paschimbanga, she now wants to extend her influence up to Delhi. She thundered: “Delhi chalo.” She said: “BJP is not the alternative to Congress. Trinamul is the only alternative at the Centre.” Without naming anyone, she announced her 3-D plan. She denounced 'dynasty' and 'danga' (riot) and desired to rule 'Delhi.' To achieve her goal, she is ready to form alliances with other small regional parties.
How far is Delhi from Kolkata for Mamata? Regional parties usually exploit the sentiments of the local people and have parochial outlooks often resulting in inter-state bickering. To form a national government, they need to broaden their outlook. Mamata sabotaged the signing of the Teesta river accord and opposes the Land Boundary Agreement with Bangladesh. She also has problems in sharing of water with neighbouring states. She, therefore, needs to improve her record of relationship with the neighbouring states and countries first in order to establish her credentials as a national leader. Until such time, Delhi is likely to remain too far for Mamata Banerjee.
 

The writer is a former chief engineer of Bangladesh Atomic Energy Commission.