As she fights Covid, Mamata must check Bengal violence

On taking the oath as West Bengal’s chief minister for the third time on Wednesday, Mamata Banerjee went into top drive on the issue of battling the Covid-19 pandemic and the post-poll political violence in the state that had claimed 14 lives till then. Action on both began immediately, although she did say tackling Covid-19 was her “top priority”. If not Covid, what else can it be for any major leader of significance? Prime Minister Narendra Modi is a notable exception. The news of the second wave reached him late. Even today, the trench warfare against Covid-19 is being waged by state governments, with the Centre lording it over as the distributor of charity imports of oxygen.

It is just as well, therefore, that Ms Banerjee prioritised the fight against the virus. It is noteworthy, though, that the Centre has a different priority. The PM telephoned governor Jagdeep Dhankhar to say the post-poll violence must be tackled urgently. The PM’s phone call is far from customary. It would have sufficed for the Union home secretary to call the state chief secretary.

The PM bringing himself into play is apt to be seen as a dog-whistle. BJP president J.P. Nadda rushed to Kolkata and staged a dharna. The notorious BJP IT cell went into overdrive with fake images that were called out by Alt News. An out-of-work ex-MP began lurid messaging on “Hindus” coming under even sexual attack.

In fact, a commission of inquiry will be needed to go into all aspects of the violence in the state in recent weeks, including the communal dimension. It will be found the dangerous process and the entire period of electioneering were co-terminous, and the post-poll violence was only the tailend of it. It is also incontrovertible, as Ms Banerjee noted, that for the past three months the state’s law and order machinery was under the control of the Election Commission.

With a popular government back in the saddle, the chief minister now can’t evade her responsibility. She must crack down on the troublemakers in all districts. It is not enough for her to say that the violence was mostly in constituencies where the BJP won. Attempts to communalise the situation with violence after a bitter defeat may be expected by bad losers, but triumphalist exuberance by the winners to showcase their prowess can’t be ruled out.

In Tamil Nadu, Ms Banerjee’s counterpart M.K. Stalin, the DMK chief, had his party supporters arrested for ransacking “Amma Canteens”, a symbol that recalls late AIADMK supremo J. Jayalalithaa. This show of “raj dharma” and neutrality in administrative affairs is a fine example to emulate.

In recent days, repeated direct and indirect calls from elements at all levels within the BJP to impose President’s Rule in West Bengal, using the post-poll violence as a pretext, it is self-evident that such posturing ridicules the saffron camp. In the real world, imposing Central rule is undoable after a stunning election. In fact, the BJP’s moves are no more than a desperate attempt by the defeated side to shore up the battered morale of the faithful.

Besides tackling the Covid-19 pandemic, and the very culture of political violence — which Ms Banerjee is now uniquely placed to root out after her stupendous win — dealing with the unemployment monster must engage Ms Banerjee’s attention without delay.

Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee now can’t evade her responsibility. She must crack down on the troublemakers in all districts. It is not enough for her to say that the violence was mostly in constituencies where the BJP won.