Yeh dosti hum nahi todenge
Finally Modi has got Mamata where he wanted her. Or is it the other way around and Mamata has got Modi where she wanted? Whatever the case maybe, after months of cold vibes and some pretty hot insult exchanging in public, the two seem to be eating off each other's palms as evidenced by Modi's two-day Calcutta trip on May 9 and 10. The Bengal Chief Minister and the Indian Prime Minister shared not only the stage during programmes in and around the outskirts of the city, but many a laughs and evidently, some inside jokes. They also announced to flummoxed journalists and political observers, used to reporting and commenting on their acrimonious relationship, that they would from henceforth work as a "team."
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Good news that, in the interest of the country but "What possibly could have brought about this sudden change?" you may be asking. Good question. Because till a few months back Mamata was declaring that if she could she would have Modi dragged to jail with a rope tied around his waist and Modi in turn was raising questions about the sale of her paintings to scam-tainted chit fund bosses for crores of rupees (the insinuation being that if someone did have to go to jail, it wouldn't be him).
The most likely explanation for the u-turn is that Modi's persistent pressure on Mamata by way of getting the CBI to go after her party members including top leaders with the express purpose of getting her on his side so that legislature could be passed smoothly in Parliament has finally paid up. And just as the resilient Japanese surrendered, not knowing what was next after Hiroshima and Nagasaki, the otherwise resilient Mamata decided to call truce as one top party leader after another were being hauled off to jail. But Mamata herself seems to have got what she wanted in the bargain, which is for the CBI to leave her alone. For sometime now there haven't been any chit fund arrests in Calcutta, where the new Mamata-Modi "understanding" is being called the "you scratch my back and I'll scratch your's" syndrome.
Did he or didn't he?
Did newly elected CPIM general secretary Sitaram Yechury say that the party's withdrawing support to the first UPA government in 2008 over the Indo-US nuclear deal (as decided by his predecessor Prakash Karat) was a big mistake? Or didn't he? Two versions are doing the rounds. While news agency PTI reported that Yechury made the statement, local news channel ABP Ananda claimed that Yechury denied making the comment and instead told them that "there was no option at that point other than to take the decision to withdraw support". Either way, after seven years, to debate on whether it was a mistake or not seems pointless. But it can't be denied that the pull out cost the party West Bengal because as soon as it pulled out, Mamata Banerjee stepped in and together with Congress snatched power from the Leftists. It doesn't take rocket science to understand that as far as the CPIM is concerned it wasn't exactly a "wise decision".
Tagore in tears
For Bengalis, "Pochishey Boishakh" (25th day of Baishakh, the first month of the Bengali caledar), Rabindranath Tagore's birthday, is an occasion to celebrate. You will find make shift stages erected across the city, where cultural programs are held in each neighborhood, with men, women and children performing the bard's plays and musicals and of course singing and dancing to Rabindrasangeet. This week while observing Pochishey Boishakh, a club held a "chotoder ashor," getting kids to come up on stage and belt out their favorite Rabindranath song impromptu. When a six year old started singing "lungi dance, lungi dance," she was stopped and asked, "do you know whose birthday it is?" she said, "yes, Shah Rukh Khan".
Dual of the detectives
Move over, Feluda. Make way, Byomkesh. Shobor Dasgupta is here. If successful film running is any indication, then author Shirshendu Mukherjee's fictional detective is giving Satyajit Rays' and Sharadindu Bandyopadhyay's popular sleuths a run for their money. Ebar Shobor based on Mukherjee's story Rinn (or "the Loan"), directed by Arindam Sil has been lapped up by Bengali audiences and has been playing in theatres for over 8 weeks. Sleek and fast paced, with crisp editing and dialogue the film has Saswata Chatterjee (rember Bob Biswas in Kahani?) playing Shobor, the cop who literally sees truth "flash before his eyes".
Game of thrones?
Heard in the audience at Mamata-Modi meeting in Nazrul Manch: "Didi ki ba Modi/ektai kotha: ‘godi, godi" (Didi or Modi..there is only one word: "gaddi, gaddi")
