IN November 2023, Mamata Banerjee-West Bengal Chief Minister and Trinamool Congress (TMC) chairperson-indirectly criticised Prime Minister Narendra Modi, stating she doesn't seek publicity by naming stadiums after herself. Her barb was an obvious reference to the recent renaming of the Motera Stadium in Ahmedabad to the Narendra Modi Stadium.
At the time, perhaps, she was not aware that one of her party's district-level leaders-Sheikh Shahjahan of Sandeshkhali in the Sundarban region, bordering Bangladesh-had also, in some ways, emulated Modi, albeit on a smaller scale. Shahjahan had renamed the Aurobindo Mission Ground as the Sheikh Shahjahan Fan Club, after usurping its control. The heavyweight had also named a two-story market complex in the area after himself.
The Sheikh Shahjahan Market in Sarberia stands as a testimony to his might, even as the Badshah' of Sandeshkhali has now found himself in police custody-first the state Crime Investigation Department (CID) and then the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI). The administration gave possession of the ground back to the Aurobindo Mission as well as many other land plots that had been forcefully occupied by Shahjahan. But not before the issue snowballed and attracted the attention of PM Modi and the BJP, which is now leveraging the issue ahead of the 2024 Lok Sabha polls.
"Whatever happened in Sandeshkhali will put anyone to shame, but the TMC government does not care about your issues," Modi said on March 6 while addressing a public rally in Barasat in North 24 Parganas, the same district where Sandeshkhali is located. Several women from Sandeshkhali met the PM and narrated their ordeals to him.
Denne historien er fra March 21, 2024-utgaven av Outlook.
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Denne historien er fra March 21, 2024-utgaven av Outlook.
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Layers Of Lear
Director Rajat Kapoor and actor Vinay Pathak's ode to Shakespeare is an experience to behold
Loss and Longing
Memories can be painful, but they also make life more meaningful
Suprabhatham Sub Judice
M.S. Subbulakshmi decided the fate of her memorials a long time ago
Fortress of Desire
A performance titled 'A Streetcart Named Desire', featuring Indian and international artists and performers, explored different desires through an unusual act on a full moon night at the Gwalior Fort
Of Hope and Hopelessness
The body appears as light in Payal Kapadia's film
Ruptured Lives
A visit to Bangladesh in 2010 shaped the author's novel, a sensitively sketched tale of migrants' struggles
The Big Book
The Big Book of Odia Literature is a groundbreaking work that provides readers with a comprehensive introduction to the rich and varied literary traditions of Odisha
How to Refuse the Generous Thief
The poet uses all the available arsenal in English to write the most anti-colonial poetry
The Freedom Compartment
#traindiaries is a photo journal shot in the ladies coaches of Mumbai locals. It explores how women engage and familiarise themselves with spaces by building relationships with complete strangers
Love, Up in the Clouds
Manikbabur Megh is an unusual love story about a man falling for a cloud. Amborish Roychoudhury discusses the process of Manikbabu's creation with actor Chandan Sen and director Abhinandan Banerjee
