Wednesday, May 15, 2019

Just another statue? Or a clash of civilisations!















One thing might prompt everyone's mind? Why Vidyasagar college? Why the bust of Vidyasagar and not anyone else. While Vidyasagar could be just a pure victim of chance, the choice of the geographical location of the ralley which instigated violence is not a chance factor. It went through college Street- the place itself represents the pulse of enlightened city of Kolkata and to a large extent the heart line of West Bengal. College street with universities, colleges, schools and the largest market of second hand books represents the heart line of debatable term 'cultural' capital that Bengalis often proudly attached with the city. Hence, if one has to launch an attack on the culture-civilisation of Bengal, it has to be the college street.

Taking a modernist stand and with a hint of objectivities, Kalieodscope can conclude it was indeed planned route to affect, tear apart and strip the cultural attributes of the city, and mindscape of Bengal.

No one, in today's late capital world can predict the response of such an attack. It range from sudden unplanned reaction of Counterpublics to absolutely nothing. Breaking down one of the most worshipped iconic figures of Bengal would probably have little impact on the last phase of the Ongoing general election. A section of students if convinced can give a second thought before casting their votes, but, this will remain a Hallmark of event for BJP's conspicuous presence in Bengal.

For a historian or an anthropolgist writing on West Bengal, five years from now would perhaps begin by referring to the vandalism that Vidyasagar college, college street, Kolkata, Bengal and perhaps the world witnessed yesterday. It's symbolic. When you think of the simulation of the event with social media cleavage you relive the moment of the fight between ghosts of long discarded past and an uncertain present vis a vis precarious future.

The world cannot be the same, nor the past.


5 comments:

  1. I am a regular follower of your blog but here I have a question. Who started the collision? Bengal has always witnessed violence in politics since left era. Successors have learned the same thing. Surprising factor is how BJP chose to do such thing just before the election which make them loose the slightest chance they were holding. Bengal runs on emotion. Who is playing the trick?

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  2. I agree, West Bengal is violence prone when the question of politics comes, one reason is here people see politics as the most convenient mode of public transaction and not the other channels including the traditional patron-client and like relationships.

    Whoever, started the collision will remain immaterial and people will blame it on BJP, primarily because, a. They have a culture of attacking on statues, b. Their ideology doesn't match with the enlightened ideologies by Bengali people including Vidyasagar himself, c. There are footages, d. Given the weak organisation structure TMC has if they had planned to do it by themselves it would have leaked by now.

    You got it wrong, BJP knows how to capitalize even on this criminal offense, especially at a place where the reform been left half done.

    Thank you for following my blog.

    Suman

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    1. "Whoever, started the collision will remain immaterial and people will blame it on BJP"... this statement itself shows that people of West Bengal is least bothered about truth or fact, they are only interested in their own perception and ideology.

      Ideology of TMC doesn't match with "enlightened ideologies"(though I am not referring to left ideology here) either. Footage shows both the parties are fighting. And when mass is involved people do anything, they can even beat a person to death.

      I still don't understand while entire Bengali community is enraged and got emotional with this act, how exactly did BJP capitalize this situation.

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  3. Sadly, entire world is now moved by twenty twenty style hoax. BJP works by polarisation, this act will polarise, at least mark their presence. Meanwhile look at the developments with ECI.

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  4. https://www.altnews.in/a-fact-check-of-claims-made-by-bjp-about-vidyasagar-college-violence/

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