Divisive discourse

The Kolkata violence and the unprecedented curtailment of campaigning in West Bengal have emerged as the defining moments of the 2019 Lok Sabha poll battle, which will be remembered mostly for the wrong reasons — irrespective of which party (parties) forms the next government. Over the past six weeks, electioneering has been vituperative as well as vindictive. The level of the discourse has plummeted to new lows, with decorum and restraint being conspicuous by their absence. ‘Chor’, ‘goonda’ and ‘dhokhebaaz’ are some of the milder names top leaders have called each other.

The clashes between supporters of the Trinamool Congress (TMC) and the BJP on Tuesday night laid bare the alarming extent of polarisation in West Bengal. The thin veneer of civilised campaigning was ripped apart when a bunch of goons — no matter which party they belonged to — smashed a bust of social reformer Ishwar Chandra Vidyasagar, and that too on the campus of a college that bears his exalted name. Adding insult to injury, rival groups are now busy appropriating the legacy of this towering figure of Bengali Renaissance. PM Modi has announced that a grand statue of Vidyasagar would be installed at the same spot to give a ‘befitting reply’ to TMC workers. Not the one to mince words, Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee says her state has enough resources to rebuild the bust and doesn’t need the BJP’s money for the purpose.

West Bengal is a prestige turf for the BJP, which is going all out to upset the TMC applecart. The latter had swept the 2014 Lok Sabha elections in the state, winning 34 seats out of 42, while the saffron party had to settle for just two. With the firebrand Didi projecting herself as a prime ministerial candidate, the confrontation between the two parties has reached a crescendo. Amid the nasty tug-of-war, the Election Commission is being accused of failing to ensure a level playing field. Walking a tightrope has perhaps never been so tough for the beleaguered poll conductor. The voter, in turn, finds himself in the unenviable position of choosing the lesser evil.