Now,Cambridge to hear Mamata-nomics

“The first invitation came last year,right after the Lok Sabha elections,” said Ratan Mukherjee,the minister’s personal assistant. “Since then,she has been invited several times,but could not make it because of political commitments ¿ both at the state and the Centre.”

Banerjee’s name has been suggested as a guest lecturer by Dame Sandra Dowson,the head of the Cambridge-India Partnership Unit.

Incidentally,her predecessor at the ministry — Lalu Prasad Yadav — had delivered lectures at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology,Harvard University and Wharton Business School.

“She is going to talk about India’s rise as an economic superpower. She will not talk about her ministry or her state only,but will highlight the economic rise of the country as a whole,” said Mukherjee.

Close aides of the minister believe that she will definitely talk about the clashing ideas of development and put forward her model — in which industry and agriculture go hand in hand and there is no forcible land acquisition for the sake of industrialisation.

Her talk will include the Maoist insurgency in Lalgarh and highlight the urgent need for development of the tribal-inhabited area.

There will definitely be a change in style — her signature fiery delivery is to be dumped in favour of a more cautiously worded approach.