Historic Friday

Friday,May 13,has entered the annals of history as the day the 34-year-old,uninterrupted,Left Front rule came to an end in West Bengal. Mamata Banerjee has overwhelmingly triumphed; and what she is riding Writers Buildings into is not a wave but a tsunami. In a near-reversal of the 2006 verdict that had decimated the standalone Trinamool Congress,the Trinamool and Congress alliance has vanquished the Left,sparing not even the erstwhile regimes chief minister and his cabinet giants. That is the range and depth of Banerjees victory,given her salience as Bengals lone anti-Left voice that didnt fall silent during the Left Fronts brightest days in the sun. She had waited a long time for this moment; her tenacity and patience have finally paid off. Although long predictable,hers was by no means an easy accomplishment.

However,Bengals first woman chief ministers test begins now. From agitationist,Banerjee must move to administrator. For,what lies ahead is an unenviable task. Bengal is near-bankrupt,it needs industry and employment,its education and health sectors need to be salvaged and rebuilt on a war-footing. Yet,nothing will be done in a day; but Banerjee must now put her agenda for governance and recovery on the wall. She must not only talk,but work,and be seen to be doing so. Because,the desperation and discontent behind the hunger for change that has swept her to power demand her to act,from Day 1. From the euphoria of this historic triumph,the new dispensations transit to the daily business of governing will be closely watched.

However,Banerjees primary and full-term duty is to help restitch Bengals body politic,shredded thin by years of political violence,and restore civility to the states politics. The Left as opposition must do its full bit for this same task. Parliamentary politics is not a maximalist,uncompromising mortal combat. The new Vidhan Sabha must remember that. Banerjees speech early on Friday was gracious and cautious,insisting on civility and restraint. Bhattacharjee too gracefully conceded defeat and resigned. Bengals new day must now become a new life.