What's wrong with you Madam Mamta ?

I feel so very sad and sorry that my second blog post should be again talking about Mamta Banerjee and Bengal. I know I am about to draw a lot of flack by the righteous Bengalis - but I am just asking where are the hell are you heading to ?

Let me start by sharing my experience of Bengal and the Bengali Culture - it is the only state that has produced three of the five Indian Nobel Laureates. They are brainy for sure, it may come as a surprise that they are also the most widely travelled tourists. They have everything possible going for them other than that they are not progressive and have mindsets that will just not allow them to do so. They are by nature anti-establishment. As madam Mamta is proving herself - they were not happy with Mr Manmohan Singh, they are not happy with Mr Modi - and the entire state chanting to this - come off it - let's grow up a little - should we ?

Campaigning for a cause ? 

I will tell you a story of my and my wife's experience of Bengal more than one and a half decade back - and of course it is true. We were shopping and it was about mid day. The Bengalis were notoriously known for shutting down shops in the afternoon - we walked into a shop and my wife asked for something - the shopkeeper's reply was - I don't have it - with a straight face. As we were walking out of the shop my wife's sight went out to what she was asking for stacked on a shelf. She said - there it is - and the reply was again - it is not for sale - we found out later of-course - it was lunch time and this was the manner in which they do business. There is a tea time, a breakfast time, another tea time, a lunch time, evening tea time and of course shut business by evening. All these times are no no for working. Well this was not the end of our experience - she then asked where else can we get it ? The shopkeeper uttered something in Bengali and told us to go down the street. We continued and went around in circles - every one we asked would point further down the street or ask us to take some turn. Finally after one hour of roaming around we cam in front of the same shop - finally we asked one Sikh shopkeeper nearby and he told us forget what you have been  told - he said this is a sick joke played by the shopkeepers to keep you running around for something that is not there. Talking about a wild goose chase.

We went home but that evening and later in the train back home from Calcutta I got into a discussion with some Bengali person of good education and declared him absolutely without doubt that Bengal is a state of India its leaders are leading to self destruct. I have stood by this belief for more than the past one and a half decade and every new sunrise proves me right yet again.

I will again start - I am no Modi 'Bhakt' - I have some gripes against him too - but the point over which Mamta Banerjee is protesting against Modi is not the one would have bought her any political mileage in any another state - but the Bengalis just do not seem to question her. Her political gimmicking is just too much for me to digest and over and above dragging Army into it - God Bless Bengal.

The work culture at the moment is down the drain - well to be honest - it was never great. I remember the locals moving with red flag cloth in one pocket and black arm band in another. It is unfair that the state should not progress industrially. It has been proved that pure socialism is a failed concept worldwide - the birth place of this concept is split a million times over. I pray to the above average people of Bengal see this game as a Zero Sum game which will not benefit anyone. Every individual in the state and the people have to decide and show that there is no way out but to progress or get left behind in this golden period of India where inclusive growth is concept being propagated.