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BENGAL 2021: An Election Diary
On 20 May 2011, Mamata Banerjee was sworn in as the first female chief minister of West Bengal, bringing an end to thirty-three years of CPI(M) rule. 'Poriborton!' screamed the morning papers, echoing Trinamool Congress's catchphrase for bringing in change. A decade later, amidst allegations against the TMC of political violence, syndicate rule and institutional corruption, the Bharatiya Janata Party has sent out a new war cry. Ahead of what promises to be a historic state Legislative Assembly election, Deep Halder met and spoke to Bengal's biggest stars-turned-politicians, refugees who want to become permanent citizens, and travelled as far as the Bangladesh border to gauge the mood of the people. Bengal 2021 looks at an electrifying election, unfolding in the times of Covid-19.
- GenresPoliticsNonfiction
176 pages, Paperback
First published March 7, 2021
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Displaying 1 - 16 of 16 reviews
June 8, 2021
In a short volume , Deep Halder converses with multiple actors in the Bengal society across class, caste and religion trying to make a sense of the arena before the battle of 2021. He unwittingly reveals where his faith lies by an all-round attack on the Mamata regime without covering a single good story about her administration. He ends the book asking "Is it just me or is the sky a shade of saffron?". The election results have proved otherwise but the failure in psephology is compensated by some passages of engaging anecdotage.
March 23, 2021
The mastery of Deep Halder’s book on Bengal’s upcoming assembly elections lies in the fact that it is just not an "Election Diary'. This book is a glimpse of the decay of Bengal in the last 10 years after the much-awaited ‘Paribartan’ that ousted 34 years of Left rule in the state and now cuts to the heart of the Mamata problem.
To me, the highlight of the book is acknowledging caste as a crucial reality in West Bengal politics- as the neglect of the caste questions by the Left Front and until recently the ruling TMC was predominant in the bhadralok culture that professed to be secular and anti-sectarian. Taking a step further Deep Halder has illustrated how BJP has changed the narrative and amalgamated caste matters in the socio-economic and political landscape of West Bengal as the basis for political mobilisation in its favour.
In his easy, yet indomitable style Deep Halder has created a very important document that will interest not just scholars and researchers but readers with a penchant for India’s electoral politics built around political activity aimed at promoting the welfare of a particular social group to which you see yourself as belonging.
To me, the highlight of the book is acknowledging caste as a crucial reality in West Bengal politics- as the neglect of the caste questions by the Left Front and until recently the ruling TMC was predominant in the bhadralok culture that professed to be secular and anti-sectarian. Taking a step further Deep Halder has illustrated how BJP has changed the narrative and amalgamated caste matters in the socio-economic and political landscape of West Bengal as the basis for political mobilisation in its favour.
In his easy, yet indomitable style Deep Halder has created a very important document that will interest not just scholars and researchers but readers with a penchant for India’s electoral politics built around political activity aimed at promoting the welfare of a particular social group to which you see yourself as belonging.
April 13, 2021
Deep has written what he has seen. And heard.
It is incredible to read an honest account of the happenings in a high-profile poll-bound state and not get led by the author. If one has to have a takeaway from the book, it is that he has presented the facts as in, rather than mix his own emotions and inclinations to color them.
Deep finds ten points of divide in this Bengal elections and gets people's reaction to them. And the reactions are not from random people, but people who are intrinsically related to those issues. And going by what Deep has reported, they have been pretty honest and forthcoming in their admissions and statements.
Since the different views come from different strata of the society, the logic behind their statements can be understood. For example, one can understand someone's aversion to the BJP making inroads in Bengal and at the same time realize how BJP has managed to do that over the years catering to the subaltern. One can understand the perspective of the minorities and at the same time relate to the allegations of appeasement by the present government.
All in all, it is a must read because it explores all sides at play in Bengal elections without taking sides of any of them.
It is incredible to read an honest account of the happenings in a high-profile poll-bound state and not get led by the author. If one has to have a takeaway from the book, it is that he has presented the facts as in, rather than mix his own emotions and inclinations to color them.
Deep finds ten points of divide in this Bengal elections and gets people's reaction to them. And the reactions are not from random people, but people who are intrinsically related to those issues. And going by what Deep has reported, they have been pretty honest and forthcoming in their admissions and statements.
Since the different views come from different strata of the society, the logic behind their statements can be understood. For example, one can understand someone's aversion to the BJP making inroads in Bengal and at the same time realize how BJP has managed to do that over the years catering to the subaltern. One can understand the perspective of the minorities and at the same time relate to the allegations of appeasement by the present government.
All in all, it is a must read because it explores all sides at play in Bengal elections without taking sides of any of them.
March 30, 2021
Nice insights . The fear of BJP, complaints with TMC, law and order issues etc... have been covered with utmost neutrality!!
January 31, 2022
One of the most amazing things about being a journalist is the chance to understand people. To show empathy, to question and to dig deep for answers that could explain our day and age.
Mr Halder views the Mamata Banerjee government with a critical lens, as all journalist must with governments.
He is unsparing, bringing out voices of people who have been wronged.
The Left hardly features as a major character although its mark remains throughout the book and indeed in today's state politics. Mr Halder shines light on the government's hypocrisy - exposing corruption and sheer ineptness- and also too about society.
But I read the book in 2022 much after the Trinamool storming back into power. And with the benefit of hindsight, this book failed to see this coming.
To be fair to Mr Halder, predicting outcomes are difficult and it would be unreasonable to expect one from a reporter's diary. And yet the fact that the party steamrolled the opposition BJP (although Mamata lost) makes us wonder whether Mr Halder had any inkling about it.
Unfortuantely it doesn't seem like he did. For in his rightful takedown of the Mamata Banerjee government, he has completely forgotten to train the same lens on the polarization politics or the BJP.
I thought i was imagining it. But towards the end of chapter 6, i was quite convinced that Mr Halder was unduly kind to the politics of the Right. And by the end, i was sure Mr Halder missed a trick.
He paints a picture in which the Muslims seem to be incorrigible. While good, tough questions were asked to a couple of Muslim people interviewed in the book, the Hindus in particular get a much more soft approach allowing them to have their communal words without question. Indeed, while he mentions a 2017 incident in Purulia about a riot following the arrest of a Muslim who targetted Hindu gods, Mr Halder left out another incident in July that year in which a Hindu boy allegedly triggered a riot by offending Muslim sensibilities.
The great Modi, in whose name the BJP fought the election, has been left alone.
It's a pity that Mr Halder did not feel the need to question the saffron party. But full marks for taking tmc to the cleaners.
Mr Halder views the Mamata Banerjee government with a critical lens, as all journalist must with governments.
He is unsparing, bringing out voices of people who have been wronged.
The Left hardly features as a major character although its mark remains throughout the book and indeed in today's state politics. Mr Halder shines light on the government's hypocrisy - exposing corruption and sheer ineptness- and also too about society.
But I read the book in 2022 much after the Trinamool storming back into power. And with the benefit of hindsight, this book failed to see this coming.
To be fair to Mr Halder, predicting outcomes are difficult and it would be unreasonable to expect one from a reporter's diary. And yet the fact that the party steamrolled the opposition BJP (although Mamata lost) makes us wonder whether Mr Halder had any inkling about it.
Unfortuantely it doesn't seem like he did. For in his rightful takedown of the Mamata Banerjee government, he has completely forgotten to train the same lens on the polarization politics or the BJP.
I thought i was imagining it. But towards the end of chapter 6, i was quite convinced that Mr Halder was unduly kind to the politics of the Right. And by the end, i was sure Mr Halder missed a trick.
He paints a picture in which the Muslims seem to be incorrigible. While good, tough questions were asked to a couple of Muslim people interviewed in the book, the Hindus in particular get a much more soft approach allowing them to have their communal words without question. Indeed, while he mentions a 2017 incident in Purulia about a riot following the arrest of a Muslim who targetted Hindu gods, Mr Halder left out another incident in July that year in which a Hindu boy allegedly triggered a riot by offending Muslim sensibilities.
The great Modi, in whose name the BJP fought the election, has been left alone.
It's a pity that Mr Halder did not feel the need to question the saffron party. But full marks for taking tmc to the cleaners.
April 11, 2021
I came to know of this book while watching a video of Abhinav Prakash. He had invited the writer Deep Halder to discuss about Bengal elections.
The book is peppered with anecdotes of govt mismanagement and extortion, and how it affects people of different strata. It is going to be an exciting election, and I am getting to know as much as possible about it.
Couple of incidents I am mentioning below:
1. Raincoats were issued instead of PPE kits to medical staff during Covid. When one prominent doctor - Dr Khan posted on social media about this, he was taken to a police station and harassed for 16 hours and told to remove his posts.
2. A theater owner tells about how he witnessed a mob attacking a person during Left rule and police did not write FIR. The Left Cadre said it is an internal matter and the matter was over. Hafta was given then also. Hafta is given now also. But in Left govt there was clarity as to who will collect the hafta as compared to TMC.
3. BJP taking in people who are deserting TMC is making existing Cadre angry.
I did not give 5 stars as there was not too much on AIMIM Owaissi especially after Bihar elections.
The book is peppered with anecdotes of govt mismanagement and extortion, and how it affects people of different strata. It is going to be an exciting election, and I am getting to know as much as possible about it.
Couple of incidents I am mentioning below:
1. Raincoats were issued instead of PPE kits to medical staff during Covid. When one prominent doctor - Dr Khan posted on social media about this, he was taken to a police station and harassed for 16 hours and told to remove his posts.
2. A theater owner tells about how he witnessed a mob attacking a person during Left rule and police did not write FIR. The Left Cadre said it is an internal matter and the matter was over. Hafta was given then also. Hafta is given now also. But in Left govt there was clarity as to who will collect the hafta as compared to TMC.
3. BJP taking in people who are deserting TMC is making existing Cadre angry.
I did not give 5 stars as there was not too much on AIMIM Owaissi especially after Bihar elections.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
April 6, 2021
Short and interesting read. West Bengal is going through elections, at the time I’m writing this review and I, frankly, didn’t have much idea about Bengali dynamics.
The work of Deep Halder, consisting of multiple interviews with different people, gives a brief about the factors which are going to be important.
Thanks to this book, I learnt about the Bangals, the Ghotis, the Amphan, the Chotolok, and notorious the Bhadralok.
Overall fine, the book surprised me when the author wrote “according to Wikipedia” while introducing Gopal Patha. I mean, seriously?
“According to Wikipedia” is a joke everywhere, ranging from academia to journalism but still the author seems unaware of it. The claim was uncited on wiki and the author didn’t take efforts to find primary or secondary sources for it.
The work of Deep Halder, consisting of multiple interviews with different people, gives a brief about the factors which are going to be important.
Thanks to this book, I learnt about the Bangals, the Ghotis, the Amphan, the Chotolok, and notorious the Bhadralok.
Overall fine, the book surprised me when the author wrote “according to Wikipedia” while introducing Gopal Patha. I mean, seriously?
“According to Wikipedia” is a joke everywhere, ranging from academia to journalism but still the author seems unaware of it. The claim was uncited on wiki and the author didn’t take efforts to find primary or secondary sources for it.
April 5, 2021
Give this book a miss if you are active in political spaces on Twitter.
Most of the book reads like sublimation of what is available on twitter debates. I would have wanted more opinions and insights from non Kolkata bhadraloks & Chotoloks. Though the author does include some rural Bengal glimpses, I would have liked more detailed insights.
This book is meant for the casual political tourist who is just taking a plunge into politics, for the more serious enthusiast there is nothing new that this book has to offer.
Most of the book reads like sublimation of what is available on twitter debates. I would have wanted more opinions and insights from non Kolkata bhadraloks & Chotoloks. Though the author does include some rural Bengal glimpses, I would have liked more detailed insights.
This book is meant for the casual political tourist who is just taking a plunge into politics, for the more serious enthusiast there is nothing new that this book has to offer.
March 18, 2021
A timely drop, the book cuts through the clutter, demolishes a number of stereotypes about Bengal's politics and society, and offers to the Bengal voters a socio-political toolkit to analyze their garbled political opinions and structure their thoughts before and after the upcoming Assembly elections.
March 7, 2021
To the point..
A crisp offering on the current political situation in Bengal. The book without sermonizing or being speculative delves into the political thoughts currently floating in the state. As usual another, very enjoyable, offering from the author.
A crisp offering on the current political situation in Bengal. The book without sermonizing or being speculative delves into the political thoughts currently floating in the state. As usual another, very enjoyable, offering from the author.
March 31, 2021
Excellent Book on Bengal
April 12, 2021
Succinct book about the dynamics behind arvind he 2021 bengal assembly elections.
April 24, 2021
Deeply researched and elegantly written. West Bengal begs for "poriborton" from Mamata Banerjee's misrule.
May 1, 2021
A detailed unbiased opinion. A summarized historic account of Bengal's political history. Must read by all residents of Bengal.
May 22, 2021
A quick read. Covers a few aspects of West Bengal politics
May 24, 2022
An quick read, but then author's loyalty lies with BJP which is evident in the book
Displaying 1 - 16 of 16 reviews