A pair of slippers does a good a job of saving Mamata
Banerjee's soles from thorns, while her Santro runs as efficiently as a
siren-blowing Safari. Navneet Anand on the West Bengal chief minister's
mystique
Mahatma Gandhi's dhoti and danda had a touch of inspiring
sobriety and his words and deeds only complemented it.
Jawaharlal Nehru's long black coat, still known as Nehru
coat, continues to acquire an important place in the lexicon of fashion history.
JP's thick black frames and long white kurta remained as
imposing as his ideals on Sampoorna Kranti.
Indian politics has had a long tradition of leaders adding a
new dimension to their ideas, and personalities, by wearing a particular kind
of dress that are typical to them. The dress, for these leaders, in many ways
symbolised their values. While for some like Gandhi and JP their outfits
intricately exemplified their deeds and political idioms, for some it was a
mere matter of habit, while for still others, and especially in recent times, a
fashion statement.
In post-liberalisation Indian politics one person who stands
out for her dress, and which goes well with her deeds, is West Bengal Chief
Minister Mamata Banerjee. In her over two decades of active political life, one
thing that has remained constant has been her penchant for simplicity and this
is amply illustrated in her dress, and deeds. Mamta's Sari, Slippers, Santro
remained as steadfast all these years through her highs and lows, be it as a sole
crusader of the Trinamool Congress or as Union railway minister. While many
likened her to a mercurial Mamata indulging in opportunistic politics, the didi
from Birbhum, much like her clothes, stood for simplicity and welfare.
At a time when Indian politics is increasingly becoming
synonymous with pomp and show – Amul babies in
Parliament adorned in designer kurtas are a just a mild manifestation of the
same – Mamata's Sari, Slippers and Santro have brought about a remarkable
turnaround in our attention towards politicians' probity in public life.
Mamata and her slippers become important also because we are
faced with one of the worst crises of credibility in politics of our times --
when confidence in the political class is at its lowest ebb and civil society
actors are desperately trying to occupy this space.
This is also a time when politicians and policy-makers are
looked at with utmost scorn given the slew of cases tumbling out, from the 2G
spectrum scam and Commonwealth Games saga. It is also for the first time ever
in modern India that the political-corporate nexus and corruption have hit the
courtrooms. It is no small moment in the history of Indian politics when some
of its jails are housing a number of corporate honchos.
The diminutive and simple Mamata becomes significant against
this backdrop for she had taken a large corporate group head on and said
farmers' emotions were of supreme significance.
At a time when our jails are brimming over with corrupt politicians
accused of amassing billions, heartlessly and remorselessly, with a blatant
disregard for the same people who elect them to be their destiny drivers,
Mamata's minimalism symbolises hope. While many including I had dismissed her
Singur stand as nothing less than a political stunt, her continued embrace of
the ideology of simplicity and display of political courage hase helped us pin
our hopes on this petite lady from West Bengal.
Today Mamata is the role model for a whole generation of
aspiring young Indians who place a huge premium on honesty and integrity. Her
persistence chase for people's welfare and insistence on keeping the hallowed
offices of, first the Union railway minister and now chief minister, under
surveillance of sanity is what is remarkable about Mamata the politician. She
has stood as an antithesis of what ails the modern Indian political class. She
has exhibited a firm resolve to stick to the traditional language of Indian
politics.
Noted political analysts WH Morris-Jones had propounded long
ago that there are three languages -- modern, traditional and saintly -- in
'which political life in India is conducted'. One wonders if, after the likes
of Gandhi and JP, the saintly breed had disappeared while even for the
traditional idiom, the takers are not too many. Mamata does!
As we go ahead, Mamata will have huge challenges in front of
her and, perhaps then, her simplicity may be brutally overlooked, for the
evaluation of one's political success is fashion neutral. Faced with soaring aspirations
of turning around the "misdeeds" of 34 years, Mamata will have to
flex all her might to bring about all-round development in West Bengal which
has had an incessant run by the Left government all these years. Much like in
Bihar, Mamata will be confronted with a Herculean task but then she has the
mandate to do it.
What helps Mamta's cause is her stupendous focus – a pair of slippers does a good a job of saving her soles from the
thorns, while her Santro runs as efficiently as a siren-blowing Safari!
While Gandhi may have been the greatest man ever who walked
on earth and freed us forever, Mamata may turn out to be independent India's
first chappal-clad change agent!
We shall wait and watch.
Navneet Anand, a freelance journalist and blogger, did
his PhD in political communication and can be reached at anandnavneet@gmail.com
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