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Mamata vs. centre – Leaders’ dilemma

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The conflict between Mamata and the Centre over the Chief Secretary of West Bengal has become interesting and people are watching the proceedings by keeping their fingers crossed. Although the matter has not reached a conclusive end, some interesting facts are emerging from the episode.

Prime Minister Modi was scheduled to have a meeting at Kalaikonda to take stock of the effect of cyclone Yaas in West Bengal. Chief Minister Mamata was supposed to attend the meeting but, at the last minute, decided not to attend. She met with the Prime Minister one-on-one to brief him on the situation before leaving for another pre-scheduled review meeting at Digha on the cyclone’s impact. But the people could well understand that she avoided the meeting when she knew that her rival in the recent election and one of the closest colleagues who ditched her just before the recent election, Suvendu Adhikari, was also with Modi for the meeting. The Chief Secretary of the state, Alapan Bandyopadhyay, was accompanying her while meeting the PM. He was supposed to continue with the meeting but, Mamata took him to the meeting at Digha.

The next day, the Centre asked the Chief Secretary to report to Delhi on 31st May and another order came subsequently asking him to report on 1st June. The Chief Secretary was to retire on 31st May but only four days ago an extension order was received from the Centre for another three months on request of the State Government to cope with the Covid 19 situation. The State Government did not allow him to leave for Delhi, and requested the Centre to withdraw the notice. When this request was unheeded, he took retirement and Mamata appointed him as Chief Advisor from 1st June for three years. Meanwhile, the Centre has issued a show-cause notice to the Chief Secretary for failing to attend the meeting with the Prime Minister. He also responded to the notice by stating that he had attended the meeting but came out to attend another meeting on the instruction of the Chief Minister, whom he was reporting to as the Chief Secretary of the state.

The interesting point here is, the meeting at Digha was also to review the effect of the cyclone, so it was a priority too; and if the Chief Secretary had refused to obey the Chief Minister, would it not have been a similar offense under the same act? So the issue is not the Chief Secretary; it is the relationship between Mamata and the BJP which has driven the matter to this level and Bondyopadhyaya has become a victim of this political crossfire.

It is seen as an act out of frustration by the Cetre after losing the battle in West Bengal against Mamata. Mamata has clear support in her homeland, as evidenced by the recent election, so it would be prudent to leave her alone for a while. The BJP should begin working at the grass roots level to lay the groundwork for the next election in West Bengal.

Mamata must have felt satisfied after demonstrating to the Centre what she was capable of if provoked. The Centre also must be satisfied by taking action against the Chief Secretary to show who is more powerful. In the process the people of the country have witnessed a bitter game of politics that could have been avoided if both parties had acted maturely. Personal animosities overcame common sense and forced the leaders to act in this manner. The whole incident is of poor taste. The ideal situation would have been Mamata attending the meeting with the PM following the protocol and Dibyendu Adhikari not invited to the meeting.

It was an undesirable episode because it involved the Prime Minister of the country and the Chief Minister of a State. It is unclear whether PM Modi ordered the actions against the Chief Secretary or if a team behind him is doing so. However, because the PM was involved in the incident, he should now intervene and bring it to closure without allowing it to fester any further.  

Another fact that has emerged from this incident is the plight of our country’s civil servants. IAS officers are chosen through a rigorous selection process, and the best of the best are chosen to work in various positions throughout the country. However, the way political leaders treat them is pitiful. They must constantly flatter the political leaders in order to maintain their desired position and location. Post-retirement engagement is another enticing factor for which IAS officers will gladly keep political leaders amused. We can imagine the kind of pressure they work under and the compromises they make; they don’t have much freedom.

Is it possible to enact/reform legislation to ensure fair play for these civil servants? If there is a will, there is a way; with the kind of majority the present government has, reform in this area can also be thought of.

This incident further strengthens the susceptibility of the Centre-State relationship, which is becoming more prominent of late. This is not conducive to equal development of the states, regions and the overall health of the country. It calls for a revisit to the constitutional provisions and see how we can plug the holes.

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