Relief measures undertaken by the state government in the Aila-ravaged Sunderabans fell in the eye of the storm. Fresh from a poll debacle, the CPI(M) continued to draw flak from almost all Bengali vernaculars.
One incident, in particular, hogged enough edit space to jolt the CPI(M), especially chief minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee, into realising that relief measures cannot be really used a tool for political mileage.
A few days ago, when Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee visited Basanti in the South 24 Parganas, a few local people, who were helping with the disbursal of aid among the Aila victims, were kept locked up by the local administration. This was done, according to various reports, to enforce security measures, keeping the CM’s visit in mind.
Bartaman, which generally adopts an anti-state government stance, has minced no words in calling such a move inhuman and irresponsible. The Ananda Bazaar Patrika (ABP) tempered its stand a little by saying that if the CM’s security is more important than disbursal of aid to the suffering masses, then it’s better that he doesn’t visit such locations.
ABP further observes that the deterioration in democratic ethics is resulting in the electorate’s lack of confidence in the currently ruling administration. Even days after Cyclone Aila came, saw and ravaged the Sunderbans, the hapless victims are surrounded by “water, water, everywhere, nor any drop to drink. Food rations have been woefully inadequate and the disbursal not uniform. Bartaman said political interests were fuelling aid disbursal.
The Left Front mouthpiece, Ganashakti, in adopting a pro-party approach, nonetheless, offered a fresh take on the beleaguered CM. After all, he rushed to the cyclone-hit spots twice! Ganashakti also said the Trinamool Congress is proving to be a roadblock to relief measures with help from its media friends. It further said that the media has always shown the CM facing the wrath of the cyclone victims.
However, the ABP, known for its balanced stand, lauded Kanti Ganguly, the state’s Sunderbans development affairs minister, who has actually joined the locals in helping to rebuild a part of the embankments that have collapsed across the mangrove forests’ shorelines.
An all-party meet was held last Sunday to decide on joint long-term developmental measures for Aila victims by the Congress and state government. Trinamool Congress stayed away from this meet. ABP said that it was a veiled attempt to have the Congress as the CPI(M)’s rescuer.
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