In Bengal, the TMC offered a lot of promises to the Bengalese. Although others dint get fulfilled and the state remained poor, the promise given by Mamata ‘They will go but we will remain here to show’ was fulfilled as an attack on Adhikari’s entourage during the counting period itself. Yes, it was not a case of euphoria of an unexpected and a big win that said let bygones be bygones. It was an exhibition of their modus operandi and a plan for the next election. The message was simply this; anyone who tries to challenge us at any time will have to face the consequence. The looting, rapes and killings just went on and people fled to the neighbouring state – Assam. It is not that ordinary people alone were suffering. BJP’s senior members themselves were not only disrespected in the state, but they also faced physical and verbal assaults. Women’s commissions chief was also shown her way out. Because of media disinterest and the covid19 epidemic, news materials aren’t coming to the fore. However, help sites are inundated with painful stories and even elected MLAs are not spared. The saddest part of this violence is not the deaths and the rapes alone which possibly can be controlled, it is the addition of an unmitigated fear of having to live as an enemy of the state for towing the wrong line. It is no different than having to live under Saddam Hussein or Robert Mugabe. Also, whereas they get sympathy from the liberals there, these victims don’t even qualify for it in India! Yes, this is a big tragedy in India, but with the Western Media’s silence due to similar inclinations said above, almost as a blessing in disguise, it has not been a tragedy for India in the international scene as the Delhi riot was! Indian democracy: With the modus operandi thus being proven to the core of science in offering victory every time, the mighty BJP that did a Hindu Revolution through Ballot in 2014 becoming helpless in front of the culture of violence and intimidation, and strategy's cost- effectiveness making it a perinatal golden egg- laying goose, victory could easily extend beyond the next election. With the immortality that could make her an undisputed queen thus guaranteed, wise ones with tunnel vision seeing her as Narayani and her outsider/insider slogan taking Bengalese towards the edges the ‘North East phenomenon’ doesn’t look so far fetched. Even if the scenario aired above doesn’t come true, what is happening now does not constitution a blessing for the Indian democracy. It is because democracy inherently accepts change. No wonder, it denies more than two consecutive terms for the head victor. Also, its rule and euphoria disallow violence against the loser. While the violence that is intended to teach a lesson aiming at the next election goes against democracy and only devalues it, that being the result of the threat issued during the election campaign devalues the victory itself. This may remind one of Indira Gandhi’s Emergency. But if this plan becomes successful, unlike the victims of Indira, the victim-hood here could go endlessly. To congratulate this victor is either not to understand the ethos of democracy and the pain of the subjugated, or to have a tunnelled vision focused on just one expect of the whole. The religious conflict is even not talked about. The bad role of the BJP: Sadly, the mainstream media has not done its job as the fourth pillar of the state properly. But thank God modern technology like the mobile, Internet and the Social Media have helped so much that it has taken information dissemination to the individual level as never before. Portals like this galore on the Internet, which even bring people’s extremely disturbing episodes of helplessness, pain and tears before rape or death! The scale of gang rapes, tortures, burnings and killings remind one of the killings of Mukti Bahini in then East Pakistan. Catalogue of errors by the BJP: The BJP always had a bad name in the eyes of the leftist, liberal and western press, but this loss of votes has added more to the list. 1. Since there was a gross disparity between what was seen and expected by everybody before the count and what was seen after, and since several recounts gave victory to the BJP candidates the party should have asked for a recount in many booths. Things could, possibly, have been different. It did not. Indeed, possibly, for the first time members of the general public and even junior party officials have asked for a recount. And possibly for the first time, the party bosses of the BJP rejected those requests. The why of that is still in the secret corridors of Delhi. 2. The BJP was fully aware of the ways of both the Communists and the TMC's ways along with the assertion of Mamata. They were fully aware of the vulnerability of supporters once they are brought out of hibernation. But far from organizing security for the locals that every responsible party would, they fled leaving them all vulnerable to a culture of violence that has been there since the days of Jyoti Basu. 3. The beatings, gang rapes, burnings and killings on a large scale and people fleeing to neighbouring Assam, all remind one of what Pakistan did to the people supporting the Shanti Bahini in then East Pakistan. Albeit mainstream media hasn’t done its job, BJP can’t say it wasn’t aware of the extent of the violence. This is because even if they have fled, the government has its central intelligence, it receives many complaints from its workers and the social media input is right in front of their officials. Yes, the victims have no power, but the fleeing leaders are not in the power lacking opposition party. They are in the government and have the highest constitutional and army powers on the land. An army power even Indira Gandhi was afraid of. Unlike them, having similar powers but rightfully sensing the tragedy, the then PM sent her army to East Pakistan. But, despite the scale of the pain of their Western brethren this BJP leadership neither imposed emergency nor sent army as in the case of a disaster. In addition, the East Pakistan condition wasn’t Indira’s making, but this tragedy is certainly partly made by the BJP. Thus, this inaction is not a case of abrogation of responsibility alone, it is a case of cheating the innocent. Furthermore, the BJP has to not only save people but also has to save democracy in the state. It has to remove the fear, as democracy will be meaningless if people have to live with fear for 5 years or more. If selfishness driven international sensitivity or even prizes are emasculating bold decisions, a deprived M K Gandhi and history prove that belief in Sita and insensitivity alone help against the routine outside onslaught. The helplessness and distant assistance to the victims Those in distress need help. Easily accessible helplines where people can speak to somebody, which they are doing now to the helpless YouTubers, should be freely available? Places should be there to live securely – gans baas kapas as the Indians say? The Assam CM at least gave a bit of good news. The BJP needs to understand that West Bengal is not a foreign country for them. They were there just a few days back before the cheating started.

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