KOLKATA: Fifteen years ago, when Mamata Banerjee walked out of the AICC plenary session at Netaji Indoor Stadium to embrace the challenges 'outdoor', she had few takers. The picture was completely different on Tuesday.
Her tryst with the 'outdoor' seemed to have clicked as thousands of students from across the state gathered at Mayo Road to hear Didi - outshining the Congress student gathering atMahajati Sadan.
The chief minister began with a word of advice to her young supporters. "Always keep your cool and be optimistic." She asked them not to quarrel, to maintain discipline, respect elders, be well mannered and inculcate self belief.
She urged them to build a strong character. "Nobody is born a leader. It is through years of struggle and experience that they become one. I was not born with a golden spoon. I began my career as a student leader and learnt from the various struggles," said Mamata.
She was critical of people who flare up easily. "Some people tend to get over excited. Never lose your head and start of a fight. Build a firm character first," said Didi, possibly referring to the repeated incidents of high-handedness by TMCP supporters in colleges state-wide.
Mamata also made an indirect promise to reward those who would follow the seven-point charter prescribed by her for the party's flag-bearers in colleges and schools.
Such dedicated party workers will stand a better chance of getting enrolled in an employment bank being prepared by the state, the CM hinted. The youth were asked to pay respect to their teachers on September 5. "It doesn't matter if you cannot gift them flowers or an uttariya. Instead, write a poem and touch their feet," Mamata told the youth.
However, education minister Bratya Basu did not mince any words while speaking to the TMCP members. "It doesn't matter to you if anyone among you misbehaves. Neither does it matter to me. But, the blame directly falls on chief minister Mamata Banerjee. Please be careful as such acts tend to undermine the dream the chief minister has sown - to create an education environment bereft of political influence," Basu said to the one-lakh crowd.
It was clear that the party chief whip is resolved to free the schools and colleges across Bengal of "dalatantra."
However, Mamata went a step ahead in bashing the media at the students' meet. She accused it of pandering to commercialisation and alleged that the CPM was spreading canards against her government through TV channels funded by it. "The newspapers and TV channels are now frantically trying to catch the markets," Mamata said.
Trying to counter the barrage of criticism directed at her and her government, she said, "There are always people who will try to run you down. This is a state which understood Netaji's worth only after he went missing and dubbed Rabindranath as a bourgeois poet. There will always be some people who consider themselves to be the society's guardians. When I started fasting for Singur, no body supported me. But as days went by, I was vindicated in my belief. And who is making the allegations? A party of the poor which has an asset of Rs 417 crore. Infact, most of the property on AJC Bose Road has been bought by CPM and the finance department had to order 24 special audits for reported financial irregularities by the former government."
"Now, they are busy spreading canards, but during their regime even FIRs on rape weren't accepted. In their 34 years, CPM set up one university and we've already set up three. People are watching these. Some say CPM will be back in another three-and-a-half year. I feel this will not happen in another 23 years. Let us put them to sleep with respect," Mamata sent out a strong message to the youth brigade.
Her tryst with the 'outdoor' seemed to have clicked as thousands of students from across the state gathered at Mayo Road to hear Didi - outshining the Congress student gathering atMahajati Sadan.
The chief minister began with a word of advice to her young supporters. "Always keep your cool and be optimistic." She asked them not to quarrel, to maintain discipline, respect elders, be well mannered and inculcate self belief.
She urged them to build a strong character. "Nobody is born a leader. It is through years of struggle and experience that they become one. I was not born with a golden spoon. I began my career as a student leader and learnt from the various struggles," said Mamata.
She was critical of people who flare up easily. "Some people tend to get over excited. Never lose your head and start of a fight. Build a firm character first," said Didi, possibly referring to the repeated incidents of high-handedness by TMCP supporters in colleges state-wide.
Mamata also made an indirect promise to reward those who would follow the seven-point charter prescribed by her for the party's flag-bearers in colleges and schools.
Such dedicated party workers will stand a better chance of getting enrolled in an employment bank being prepared by the state, the CM hinted. The youth were asked to pay respect to their teachers on September 5. "It doesn't matter if you cannot gift them flowers or an uttariya. Instead, write a poem and touch their feet," Mamata told the youth.
However, education minister Bratya Basu did not mince any words while speaking to the TMCP members. "It doesn't matter to you if anyone among you misbehaves. Neither does it matter to me. But, the blame directly falls on chief minister Mamata Banerjee. Please be careful as such acts tend to undermine the dream the chief minister has sown - to create an education environment bereft of political influence," Basu said to the one-lakh crowd.
It was clear that the party chief whip is resolved to free the schools and colleges across Bengal of "dalatantra."
However, Mamata went a step ahead in bashing the media at the students' meet. She accused it of pandering to commercialisation and alleged that the CPM was spreading canards against her government through TV channels funded by it. "The newspapers and TV channels are now frantically trying to catch the markets," Mamata said.
Trying to counter the barrage of criticism directed at her and her government, she said, "There are always people who will try to run you down. This is a state which understood Netaji's worth only after he went missing and dubbed Rabindranath as a bourgeois poet. There will always be some people who consider themselves to be the society's guardians. When I started fasting for Singur, no body supported me. But as days went by, I was vindicated in my belief. And who is making the allegations? A party of the poor which has an asset of Rs 417 crore. Infact, most of the property on AJC Bose Road has been bought by CPM and the finance department had to order 24 special audits for reported financial irregularities by the former government."
"Now, they are busy spreading canards, but during their regime even FIRs on rape weren't accepted. In their 34 years, CPM set up one university and we've already set up three. People are watching these. Some say CPM will be back in another three-and-a-half year. I feel this will not happen in another 23 years. Let us put them to sleep with respect," Mamata sent out a strong message to the youth brigade.
No comments:
Post a Comment