Mananiya Pradhan Mantri'Ji - An open letter to the honourable PM

Dear Narendra'Ji,

I write to you knowing fully that there is very less chance of this real long mail reaching up to you. I will certainly send it to your social media team just to ensure that the views of an ‘aam’ urban ‘admi’ like me do count and give you a sense of how the new India thinks.

Let me begin my mail by saying HUGE CONGRATULATIONS! What a spectacular win! When I pressed the button beside the lotus on EVM, I couldn’t imagine that the mandate will be this BIG. Let me congratulate your prime partner in this amazing electoral journey, Mr. Amit Shah. He certainly knows some magical secrets that whatever he touches turn to lotus! Congratulations to your hard working ‘karyakartas’, creative media managers, intelligent political strategists, best in the business event managers, every team members behind this magic numbers - what a seamless coordination!

Now why do I choose to write this mail? Because I don't want to limit my participation in this vibrant democracy just by criticising, complaining and trolling loosely. I am making a serious effort to directly reach out to you just at the onset of your second stint as our honourable PM. This probably is an emotional outburst.  I thought of writing down my random thoughts that display hopes, concerns and expectations.

Chupchap Padma Phule Chhap - The quiet transition towards Saffron in Bengal

I did sense a storm when a very close family member who couldn't think beyond the Left symbol all her life pressed the button beside lotus this time. She was candid in saying that she doesn’t expect her CM to speak the language she speaks and the way she speaks. What my close relative meant are civility and humility in politics. Shameless exhibitions of arrogance in politics costs dear and exactly that has happened in Bengal – what I sensed as a storm turned into a tsunami of sort.

This very arrogance of the Left party men had made me, son of a local committee member of CPI(M), vote for TMC in 2011 to teach the incumbent government a lesson. Dear Narendra’Ji, please don't miss out on the percentage of vote share that our ruling party in the state has managed even this time. Didi still rules the hearts and minds of a sizeable pie in West Bengal. Didi's brothers and sisters did a good job as far as bringing the cosmetic changes in Bengal are concerned. We have much better roads and beautified parks now throughout out the state. Barring few areas, cities and villages are much cleaner and more liveable. In order to win the confidence of Didi supporters, please don’t let your team to use the same techniques that we are tired of - politics of violence and appeasement.

Didi has cordially tried to woo the attention of industries through her impressive campaign Bengal Leads but unfortunately many of the MOUs signed did not translate into business. Somehow the long Left rule, the ‘Cholbe Na’ culture that it brought along and the terror of purely TMC endorsed ‘Syndicate Raj’ have over shadowed her efforts. Or is it her ultra-left activities and the traditional portrait of lazy Bengali image that has unfortunately been tagged to the state couldn’t win the confidence of the investors!

Poribortoner Poriborton – The change of change

We did change our ruler in 2011. Many of us did know that was a movement out of the frying pan into the fire. Still we took a chance and glad we did. It was a symbolic change to mark that the people of Bengal too can say NO. We were taken for granted for a little too long by the ‘Bhodrolok’ – gentlemen Left front leaders. A state that led from the front in the freedom movement steadily lost its relevance in the national scene by misrule year after year.

If we do not correct our path now, it will be indeed too late and that’s another reason, you must have noticed, people of Bengal are looking up to you. Please don’t make them disheartened. Many of them voted for lotus even without knowing anything about the local BJP candidate. For that matter I too had no idea about the BJP candidate at our constituency as none from the BJP reached out to us in our area.

As your next important initiative to attract the attention of urban Bengal voters, please get us some impressive leaders. You will certainly need doers and executers on the ground but please induct some leaders with global vision and exposure to understand and articulate the urban aspirations too. I think Bengal misses out on that balance now. Very importantly also let us understand that who will be our Chief Minister if BJP is voted to power in the next assembly election. We would ideally like to have a strong leader like you who is equally at ease with the mass and class. Someone who could bring back the lost glory of Bengal. A leader who can safeguard the interest of Bengal as a multicultural state. Who will be equally comfortable attending Durga or Kali Puja along with celebrations of Christmas and Eid. The last thing that the people of Bengal would love to endorse is the mere change of flag colour by various political goons to enjoy the BJP’s political clout.

A humble request to the top leadership of BJP is not to miss out on the abilities of Bengali minds who are contributing enormously all over the world – it’s high time we get them back at home and make Bengal enriched with their talents. Bengal needs industries, employments, opportunities keeping in mind the phrase coined by our erstwhile Left Front government ‘krishi amader bhitti, shilpo amader bhobishyot’ – agriculture is our foundation and industry is our future. We can’t ignore the aspirations of farmers while looking at the bright sides of the industrialisation.

Sabka Saath Sabka Vikas

I love the phrase ‘Sabka Saath Sabka Vikas’. Unfortunately, often the narrative of your developmental agenda get overshadowed by the parallel narratives. My work sometimes takes me out of the country and when people ask me questions about cow vigilantism and the deaths over it – I feel extremely uncomfortable. I certainly tell them that the things are much different in reality and ours is a nation with 201 million Muslim population, the largest Muslim population outside any Muslim majority country. I’m absolutely there with you as far as illegal animal trafficking is concerned but why would people be made isolated just for their food habits! Is it not very personal in nature! We worship almost every elements of the nature in this part of the world to respect them and protect them – would we stop using all of them and stop consuming their products! It feels disturbing when videos of mob lynching surface where we see people are harassed quite brutally.

Few weeks back I felt extremely uncomfortable when a learned friend of mine found me echoing the voice of Pakistan Prime Ministerjust for expressing my views against a full-fledged war. I was lucky that it remained confined into exchange of couple of FB messages. In Bengal and outside of it too, people are jailed for expressing views against the main stream. Often they are labelled anti-national!!! I would expect the state would protect people like us who are probably minority of different sort – minority with uncommon views. I would expect you will ensure that people like me will feel safe and efforts will be made to make India more tolerant or willing to accept every views. I would also expect that you will be tough with many prominent BJP leaders of various age groups sending people with independent views to Pakistan, left, right and centre.

You very rightly put it that you are the Pradhan Sevak of every Indian. I’m sure by every Indian you mean all of us, irrespective of our religions, casts, creeds, faiths, political affiliations, food habits, genders or preference of sexuality for that matter.

Dear Pradhan Sevak’Ji, I would look forward to your strong vigilance that the parallel narratives do not dent the image of the country. I did notice your latest call - Sabka Saath Sabka Vikas and Sabka Vishwas. Critical, indeed.

‘Government School Wahin Banayenge’

Dear Modi’Ji, your second stint should be remembered by generations for its education reforms. Crores of government money are going down the drain and students are learning nothing. Ms. Atishi Marlena came across as quite a breath of fresh air. Unfortunately she is not a part of your army. Her well measured and aptly researched ideas have brought remarkable positive changes in the government schools in Delhi. Can you induct her into your ‘fauj’ and bring about the necessary changes in the education policy of India. Please scout for more Atishisi to realise your vision of a New India. It will be possible only through education. I quite love the slogan that Atishi used this election - ‘Government School Wahin Banayenge’.

Make In India – India Educates

I too dream of a New India and as mentioned before education is the key. To participate in the process I set out with my humble initiative called India Educates. It promotes Indian education abroad and now also within India. I started my organisation in 2015 and still upbeat about it. We must get the lost glory of Indian education back. Your encouraging mantra of ‘Make In India’ was one of the inspirations for me and the movement must continue in every spheres of the nation.

Can We Let Shri Ram Chandra Take Some Rest?

Do you think making all the BJP followers chant ‘Jay Shri Ram’ across the length and breadth of the nation is a move that could be done away with? Aren’t spontaneous and neutral ‘Bharat Mata Ki Jay’ or ‘Vande Mataram’ are perfect enough to show respect to our dear motherland? Religious slogans may not be the best of ideas to represent a national party as big as BJP. Trust me, people of Bengal have voted for you and not Shri Ram Chandra. Doing away with the religious slogans will reassure ‘Sabka Sath and Vishwas’. I’m sure you would like to serve the followers of Maa Durga, Kali, Lord BalaJi, JagannathaJi or Jesus, Allah and many forms of worshipped gods as much as the followers of Shri Ram Chandra.

Modi Hai To Mumkin Hai

I think unarguably you are one of the top orators and strong leaders that world has today. I like your decisiveness and clarity in your thoughts . You understand the pulse of the nation like very less people do. Majority of the people have mandated that they have no problem in what you do be it your frequent foreign visits, introduction of GST or demonetisation.

It’s certainly expected out of any leader to have massive reach out drive and as a nation head, you did the right thing by reaching out to other world leaders. A section of people do talk about the huge amount of money spent in that exercise but they fail to take a note of the point that there always will be an opportunity cost. India certainly is seen as a stronger republic under your unique leadership. Demonetisation had raised a lot of uncomfortable questions. I’m not that learned economic expert but I still do not see any problem in the stated intention of it. As far as GST is concerned, it may need functional reviews but again the credit of rolling it out finally will always go to you. So to cut the long story short – please continue with your bold reformative steps if that impacts India positively.

Dear Pradhan MantriJi, can you present us that New India where elections will be fought with issues like who will plant more trees, who has a better plan to clean the rivers, who has a better anti-pollution arrangement in place, who will induct more ‘qualified’ teachers in the education system, who will improve the infrastructure of more government schools, who will introduce incentives for clubs to go Green and spread Green. The wish list is too long… probably too long because the politics of dynasts have failed India miserably. Let me stop here by just adding a few last lines.

You did announce some wonderful initiatives in your first stint – be it Swachh Bharat, Make in India, Namami Gange, Beti Bachao Beti Padhao, Ujwal Bharat, Jan Dhan, Pradhan Mantri Awas, Digital India and many more, please do review the status of those and finish them because seldom a leader gets the opportunity to serve a nation the way you have earned it for yourself. Please don’t listen to the trolls as 'Kuch Toh Log Kahenge'…

A robust majority of the world’s largest democracy have loved to believe that - 'Modi Hai To Mumkin Hai'.

Best wishes! Once again many congratulations!

Warm regards.

Pratik Tarafdar

An admirer who loves to speak his mind.
30th May, 2019

### All the views expressed are completely personal in nature. This certainly is not an attempt to hurt anyone’s religious and political feelings and ideologies. People disproportionately ‘sensitive’ about others’ views are humbly requested to ignore my blog.