Communists of West Bengal

Recently, I heard of the plight of a fellow NRI. He had ventured into buying an apartment in a much publicised residential complex in Kolkata. And naive, as he was, he assumed its a child's game as he had all the money they had asked for. He got his father-in-law in Kolkata to help him in the process. But nothing seemed to get going, even after paying many of the installments. In fact, even the receipts were not sent.

Suspicious, this man decided to pay them a visit in a hurried trip to India. To his awe, he found the builder's office abounding in CPI-M party cadres who make no attempt to hide their political affiliation.

On careful diplomatic maneuvering, it unfolded upon him that he was paying the price for his father-in-law's "not too friendly opinion" about CPI-M in particular and the rulers of West Bengal in general, that inadvertently slipped out of his mouth one day, because of some long-borne frustration.

After a few hours of pondering over the saga, it dawned upon me, this guy had actually been "lucky". As far as today's West Bengal is concerned, anything could have been an eventuality. Let me summarize a few of what comes to my mind:

1. He could have been labeled the neo-imperialist son-in-law (because of his residence status) of a "Burgeois" father-in-law (as he paid money & wanted work to be done), thus an unaccomodable class-enemy in the socialist republican setup of "working" classes in Red Bengal, thereby confiscating their property in the name of state welfare for the "people" by the "people"

2. There could have been indefinite suspension of all data entry work becoz of unrealistic, uncalled-for, "Burgeois" demands of class enemies (who wanted their cheque payments documented) until and unless "action" is taken against these class enemies that is deemed satisfactory by the "oppressed", "working" classes, along with an overtoned warning that in the event of unsatisfactory actions against them, this class struggle will culminate into a series of "nationwide" bandhs and jail-bharos for indefinite period of time

3. He could have been labelled an agent of external, fascist, imperialist forces assisted in their efforts by internal anti-socialist, communal, fascist forces like BJP, RSS, VHP, TC who don't want to see Bengal prospering, thereby calling for huge govt reserve forces to deal with him and his father-in-law. There could have been thousands of bullets shot, none flying in straight intended projectory and thousands of lives lost, none of whom had anything to do with the matter at hand. All in the name of "socialism" and "progress".

BIBLIOGRAPHY

Burgeois : Anyone at whose expense a "class struggle" can be organized for "state welfare"

Working : Anyone who sees to it that "class struggle" continues

Oppressed: Anyone asked to do some work.

Nationwide : West Bengal, Kerala and Tripura.

Class Struggle: Daily picnic that gets you Rs 100/-, one packet of free biriyani or luchi-alurdom, at the expense of carrying a red flag, shouting something that makes no bloody sense to you or your listener.

State Welfare: Anything that gurantees that the oppressed remain oppressed, so that "communism" remains in the reckoning..