New Delhi: Mamata Banerjee’s political journey has been marked by a distinctive style of protest — dramatic, symbolic, and deeply personal. Her methods often blur the line between political theatre and grassroots activism, creating powerful images that resonate with supporters and critics alike.
That style she has now instilled in her colleagues was again evident early Friday, even as New Delhi prepared to begin work on a cold, smoggy morning.
Eight Trinamool Congress members of Parliament staged an impromptu demonstration in front of the Union Home Minister’s office in Delhi around 8.30 a.m. on Friday. Since they had not sought permission and stood blocking the entrance, the Delhi Police had to remove them forcibly. The well-crafted spectacle gave the party valuable airtime in its protest against the Enforcement Directorate’s (ED) raid on its poll and political consultancy agency.
On Thursday, even as the raid was on in Kolkata, Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee rushed to the site and came out in a little over 10 minutes, openly flaunting documents, a laptop, and a mobile phone grabbed from inside. She even addressed the media, holding these.
While the Trinamool blamed the Centre for using its probe agencies to secure confidential files to glean intelligence on the upcoming Assembly election, the ED clarified that the raid had nothing to do with polls or politics.
Talk of an almost-Watergate moment in Kolkata:
It was reminiscent of another raid in 2019, when the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) reached the home of then Kolkata Police Commissioner Rajiv Kumar. Mamata rushed to his residence and framed the exercise as a political vendetta by the central government. She even went on a sit-in protest in central Kolkata over the raid. The move then was attributed to her acquiring a certain diary, though there was no evidence of it.
The exercise highlighted for the public her readiness to confront central agencies head-on, positioning herself as the protector of state officials.
Similarly, Mamata famously staged a dharna outside the CBI office in Kolkata, accusing the central government of misusing investigative agencies. The protest drew national attention, showcasing her ability to turn bureaucratic confrontations into mass political spectacles.
Old timers talk of a half-century-old spectacle when a young Mamata, then with the Congress, jumped on top of a car that was being used by Jayaprakash Narayan during a Kolkata visit. It became a visual metaphor for her confrontational politics — literally rising above obstacles to demand attention.
During the Left Front rule in the state, sustaining an injury on her head, reportedly from police canes, Mamata appeared in public with a bandage and continued her protests. The image reinforced her portrayal as a “fighter” who refuses to be silenced, even when physically hurt.
Again, in the run-up to the 2021 state election, Mamata was seen campaigning riding a wheelchair after suffering a leg injury. It led an imaginative party member to create a poster of a football and a leg in a cast, with the now-famous “khela hobey” (let the game begin) slogan.
This not only drew sympathy but also energised her supporters, who saw her determination as proof of her commitment. At 71, and as the head of administration, the Mamata of yore may have changed somewhat, but her “khela hobey” attitude now reflects off her colleagues on occasions.
In Delhi again, there was a night drama in October 2023, when Trinamool leaders, led by her nephew and party General Secretary Abhishek Banerjee, sat at Krishi Bhavan premises in protest over Union Minister of State Sadhvi Niranjan allegedly failing to meet them despite a scheduled appointment. Delhi Police had to physically remove and detain them, cutting short that chapter of their demand for the release of the then-MGNREGS fund.
Trinamool MPs have also carried out demonstrations in Tripura and Assam, alleging attacks on their workers and suppression of democratic rights, which have led to verbal and physical altercations, making visuals for the cameras.
(IANS)
