People's Democracy

Trinamul MP's SMS �Resignation�

B Prasant

ONE remembers the SMS-resigned MP from that unique outfit (called the Didi�s faction even today in Pradesh Congress circles, and beyond,) and the latest name of this worthy is �Kabir� Suman ne� Suman Chatterjee, as the crude face of the reactionary right/sectarian left (choose both in his case, please) who �wanted to be happy each morning only if he saw five CPI(M) heads rolling by,� and called for �death to all CPI(M) workers.�

On March 29 he sent forth a text message to Didi expressing his desire not to continue with his membership of the Lok Sabha.  He then called a media conference where he said in so many words the following about the outfit he was so enamoured of even till the previous day:

�        Trinamul Congress is filled with people of the light-fingered brigade whom he called the �eaters� or khaobadi to rhyme perhaps with his own brand of Maobadi

�        He, Suman, has been meted out great dollops of insults by Didi�s men everywhere he goes

�        The outfit would not allow him to provide direct employment to his personal brigade of goons, the ill-gotten task having to be routed through Didi, perhaps, he would not clarify despite goading

�        He loves the 'Maoists' and has composed a song dedicated to the criminal Chhatradhar Mahato (presently languishing in jail custody on several murder charges), and the outfit would not give it publicity (i.e., would not get the CD sold under that outfit�s banner, how sad!)

�        He is always superseded by men who would serve him �tea and biscuits� at his call when he, Suman was Didi�s man and not a �mere� common-or-garden MP

Then the Patrika group swung into action. 

�        First the resigned MP said that he would send in a formal letter of resignation but never did 

�        Then he was made to say that he will go to the people and not the Lok Sabha.

�        Finally on March 31 he has declared that he would �reconsider� his decision to resign, which in fact he has never done, formally speaking.

We may only conclude with a popular saying dating back from colonial Bengal when the poor people here would often have cause to carp about the pro-British Bengali middle class (babus) and say �are they mad or simply devilish?�  The aphorism is appropriate here, we do believe.