Alfred Hitchcock presents ‘Bengal Panchayat Polls'

Kolkata: ‘Alfred Hitchcock Presents’ was an American television anthology series created, hosted and produced by Alfred Hitchcock, airing on CBS and NBC between 1955 and 1965, featuring dramas, thrillers and mysteries. The Bengal Panchayat Polls qualify not just as an episode but as an entire season.

I will start off with the mystery of the Central Forces, who arrived at the party after dessert had been served. The BSF is blaming the Election Commission while the Punjab Police and the Gujarat cops merrily consume rasgulla after the blood was ruthlessly shed. India is an efficient nation and such kindergarten lapses in basic processes are not common. So this is a central conspiracy designed to malign the TMC or a TMC strategy to misinform is clearly one for the jury. Truth be told, the protectors arrived after the massacres were concluded, more CBI than Rashtriya Rifles, if you know what I mean.

Then, of course, the constituency of the death tolls, eight out of so-far twelve belonging to the ruling TMC. A clear spanner in the works for those who advocate that violence is a ruling party prerogative. In tune with the Assembly inmates, each significant party including the rogue Naushad Siddique’s ISF is represented. Quite like Agatha Christie’s ‘Murder on the Orient Express’, everybody seems to be an assassin while everybody is clearly a victim as well.

On Siddique in particular, the opinions of his allies, the CPI (M) is spectacular and ironic. The Communists, at large, are responsible for the violent culture in the state elections whether the Jyoti Basu-led burning of trams or the Naxal movement, inarguably cuts off the same Raan. Nowadays, the same fellows have turned deeply saintly, ardent and sincere critiques of policies that they were founding fathers of. The Sai family butchering in Burdwan, in 1971, and the slaying of Hemanta Basu, a Forward Bloc leader, offer sufficient examples of this pattern, happily forgotten today.

Now, I must digress to the respected CV Ananda Bose, the deeply natty successor of the not-so-natty Jagdeep Dhankar. After multiple visits to the districts, with pedagogic sincerity, he is strangely absent from the beloved airwaves on this day, surely a repartee will arrive tomorrow. Across India, Tamil Nadu is a fine case, Governors are slightly confused about their constitutional authorities and this is a debate that must be urgently resolved. Curating a Peace Room in the Raj Bhavan is tokenism, ahem, and that must not be a defensible benchmark for successors.

A valuable actor in this narrative is the Mangal Pandey moustached Rajiva Sinha, the Election Commissioner. As per certain sagacious news channels, his office was padlocked in the early working hours of the day, leading to persuasive speculation. Maybe he had given up the run chase as the asking rate was beyond the calling of MS Dhoni or is this simply a demonstration of WFH or maybe WFB, the latter Work From Booth? Suvendu Adhikari, BJP stalwart and TMC Quisling, had called him on Facetime apparently with scant response, as Sinha stoutly defended the actions of every force, including himself. As a quirky twist, FIRs are apparently being filed against this hapless administrator, clearly at the wrong place at the incorrect time. Currently, he sounds like the boss of Ananda Caterers, Ishwar Mill Lane, pulled up for the poor quality of Beckti in the Fish Fry, blaming helplessly the suppliers in New Market.

Deeply silent during these tumultuous tidings is the prolific duo of Mamata Banerjee and Abhishek Banerjee, cleverly calm as the infantry is diligently on duty. It is sweetly smart to wait and watch, as immortalised by Noel Coward, serving yeomanly to the cause of power retention. Perhaps, the media on the morrow will be resplendent with suitable verbatims, as the impact of the outcomes are made plainly apparent. This actually makes sense, as politics is the craft of selective amplification and the TMC has no reason to be an exception.

Perhaps, the most ridiculous is the fate of the citizen voter and polling personnel, at the mercy of circumstances. The casualty list of the day includes this hapless fellow, simply exercising the rights suggested by our prolific democracy. It’s deadly serious, way more than considered, as the security of you and me cannot be compromised, due to whatever agendas. As a marker of civilisation, its role is significant and any levity on this matter cannot be condoned.

What worries me equally is the longevity of Bengali sincerity, on a foundation of intellect and laced with good manners. The same people who observe Rabindra Jayanti with impeccable intensity, whether Hindu or Muslim, succumb to violent frailties each time political bosses have to be validated or toppled. This is a Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde dimension of an otherwise simplistic race, the mob mentality overwhelming civility imperatives at times that are most demanding. Perhaps Social Scientists can probe a superannuated brain or two, in seeking a correctable diagnosis.  

The violence in the Bengal polls is just beginning and not just logically ending. As the cops get back to their barracks, the violated may well extract revenge on July 11, Results Day, or even later. Frankly, the facts on the table are so conflicting and confusing that the faculties of Alfred Hitchcock may well be commissioned. Norman Bates, of Psycho vintage, is a mere pickpocket compared to some of these stalwarts.