West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee was her usual feisty and combative self as she sat down for an exclusive interview with Group Editorial Director Raj Chengappa at her office in Kolkata. She spoke candidly on her bitter battles with the Centre and the BJP, her second term in power, efforts to build an Opposition alliance, relations with Sonia and Rahul Gandhi and accusations that she has built no second line of leadership. Excerpts:
Q. You’ve faced many challenges in your life, whether in your early childhood, or later in politics. What has been the biggest struggle of your life so far?
A. Struggle has been a part and parcel of my life. After my father died, we faced hardship but never asked anybody for help. We were self-sufficient. Student life taught me a lesson—never bow down your head, be straightforward and bold in whatever you do. Then I faced 34 years of Left misrule, their torture. If you see my health reports, I’ve been operated on five to six times, from my brain to my belly to my hands to my eyes. I was about to die so many times. It was only my spirit [that kept me alive]. I was never scared, never afraid.
Q. So was defeating the CPI(M) the hardest of those struggles?
A. We fought them for 34 years, right from our student life. Even now, when we are in government, we are dealing with the effects of Left misrule. In the seven years of my government, we have paid Rs 2,14,000 crore to service the debt [they left behind]. Now how do we run the government, do social work, developmental work? The Centre has not given us any support. We have said so many times that this is not our fault, it is the legacy [we inherited]. Restructure the debt, at least give us some scope to repay. But they are not taking any action. This year, too, we had to pay Rs 47,700 crore as interest.
We want to develop the state, but we are not getting any cooperation from the Centre. Because we do not support them, they are not doing anything for us.
Q. What about the cooperative federalism that Prime Minister Narendra Modi keeps talking about?
This story is from the July 16, 2018 edition of India Today.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber ? Sign In
This story is from the July 16, 2018 edition of India Today.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber? Sign In
Killer Stress
Unhealthy work practices in Indian companies are taking a toll on employees, triggering health issues and sometimes even death
Shuttle Star
Ashwini Ponnappa was the only Indian to compete in the inaugural edition of BDMNTN-XL, a new international badminton tourney with a new format, held in Indonesia
There's No Planet B
All Living Things-Environmental Film Festival (ALT EFF) returns with 72 films to be screened across multiple locations from Nov. 22 to Dec. 8
AMPED UP AND UNPLUGGED
THE MAHINDRA INDEPENDENCE ROCK FESTIVAL PROMISES AN INTERESTING LINE-UP OF OLD AND NEW ACTS, CEMENTING ITS REPUTATION AS THE 'WOODSTOCK OF INDIA'
A Musical Marriage
Faezeh Jalali has returned to the Prithvi Theatre Festival with Runaway Brides, a hilarious musical about Indian weddings
THE PRICE OF FREEDOM
Nikhil Advani’s adaptation of Freedom at Midnight details our tumultuous transition to an independent nation
Family Saga
RAMONA SEN's The Lady on the Horse doesn't lose its pace while narrating the story of five generations of a family in Calcutta
THE ETERNAL MOTHER
Prayaag Akbar's new novel delves into the complexities of contemporary India
TURNING A NEW LEAF
Since the turn of the century, we have lost hundreds of thousands of trees. Many had stood for centuries, weathering storms, wars, droughts and famines.
INDIA'S BEATING GREEN HEART
Ramachandra Guha's new book-Speaking with Nature-is a chronicle of homegrown environmentalism that speaks to the world
