Saturday, Apr 20, 2024 | Last Update : 07:32 AM IST
Tales of dissent: CM Banerjee writes poem against NRC, BJP govt
CM Banerjee launches a sarcastic attack with ‘cow dung ownership’
Kolkata: Taking her battle against the National Register of Citizens (NRC) through poetry, chief minister Mamata Banerjee on Monday launched a sarcastic attack on the Modi government at the Centre.
In an oblique reference to the NRC, in which 40 lakh people were excluded in Assam, she observed that those who do not have their past five generations as registered and also do not have “cow dung” as assets in their accounts are “illegal imigrants”.
Without taking the name of Prime Minister Narendra Modi the Trinamul Congress supremo also wondered whether people can be branded as “extremists” if they do not listen to Mann Ki Baat, the radio programme addressed by Mr Modi.
She also lashed out at the Central government over its efforts to make Aadhaar card mandatory in different public services and schemes.
Titled as Porichoy (Identity), Ms Banerjee shared her poetry in six stanzas on Twitter first in Bengali and later in English.
Training guns on the BJP government Ms Banerjee wrote, “What’s your surname? Your father’s name? What language do you speak? What is your religion? What do you eat? You don’t know? Go away then, this world has no room for you.”
She asked, “Who are you? What’s your identity? Where do you live? Where did you study? Tell us. Or else you’re a traitor.” Who are you? Whom do you support? Have your previous five generations been registered? What do you wear? Do you have a ‘Gobar-Dhan’ account? No? You must be an illegal immigrant.”
In an aparent dig at Mr Modi the Trinamul chief wanted to know, “Do you listen to ‘mann ki baat’? Do you write against the ruler? Does your phone have Aadhaar? Are you a member of the ‘Pay-B-Team’? Have you registered all documents? Are you against the oppressor? Then there’s no place for you. Then you are an extrimist.”
She added, “What kind of food you take? Where all do you go? Do you belong to different religion? Are you a dalit? Are you Christian? Are you a minority? You don’t support Ravana? Then you go to solitude.”
In her conclusion Ms Banerjee noted, “Do you know the power of the ruler? Do you know the agencies of the oppressor? Are you vocal in protest? Are you against the ruler? Then you are anti-national. So you get lost.”
K09
