Secret behind transformed Mamata

—“Mamata is whimsical! She can not do anything better for the state.”
—"Mamata is hot-headed, how can she run a ministry?”
—“The ill-tempered lady will perish her own party soon”.

These were some known comments about a decade back about Mamata Banerjee, the Railway minister and West Bengal’s Chief Minister in waiting. Even some politicians within her party used these words a few years back. Her political mentor Subrata Mukherjee once taunted her as ‘Beder meye Jochhna’ (Jotshna – the daughter of snake-charmer). I can remember a Congress heavyweight predicted in late 1990s after she formed her own party, “Mamata has entered a blind lane. She has no path to go ahead, neither she can come back to the Congress.” The man is now a TMC MP.

In vernacular media, the fire-brand lady was portrayed as ‘Agnikanya’. Still people recollect her odd days and her impulsive — failing to nominate majority of her close comrades in assembly election in 1996 or throwing her towel as Railway minister after Nitish Kumar and Bihar lobby hooted her in Parliament. Her rally to sound death bell (Mrityu Ghanta) for Left Front in 1990s was also in rounds even before a few years.

However, she had her other image too in public. Chappal-clad Mamata wears cheap and common saari, generally white with green borders. She does not care for any cosmetics. She prefers chap-muri as nasta, which is essentials for poorest of the poor. None saw her brushing her hair. She was dragged out of the Writers’ Building by the police. At Bedi Bhawan she was ragged by Kolkata police. On that day people witnessed Mamata ashamed of the police's behaviour. She bowed down her head as long as she was on Dharna outside the Bedi Bhawan and her followers were on wild cat strike all over the state.

But, it seems she has transformed her rustic-like firebrand approach to a polished and matured politician. Watchers really wonder the speed and the way today’s Mamata Banerjee looks like. Is anybody grooming her - was a question from a known TMC activist few days back. None close to her speaks out anything on this. But, some credit must go to the common people - who taught her how to stand beside people on need and shrug shoulder with politicians of other sheds.

The first explosion of Singur was by common agrarian people, be they Leftists or rightists. Trinamool Congress was not in the lead. The TMC MLA of that area stood beside people and she had to step into. Cleverly she used the situation and learned how to share podium with others. Soon people’s revolt against the CPM and government's anti-people stance at Nandigram taught her to work together with Leftists of different shades.

Since then, she has started working not only with the like-minded, even with those who are diametrically opposite to her politics, such as ultra-left groups and SUCI (Communist). Necessity is the mother of invention but for Mamata the words ‘necessity’ and ‘invention’ may be replaced with ‘experience’ and ‘transformation’. During the last four and half years, she (and her party too) had also come close to host of intellectuals, most of them are Left-minded even today. She has transformed in to a matured political leader - much composed.

Several top bureaucrats, senior IPS and IAS officers aligned themselves with her party. Working with them also groomed her to some extent. Now, almost assured to become the next Chief Minister, her attitude has become much pleasing. She often smiles. Her hair seem to be straitened. Light touch of cosmetics, of course barest minimum, presents her as a glittering Queen of people’s heart.

Today, as the Railway minister for the second term, she placed her fifth Budget. First two was as the Railway minister of NDA government. Just a decade back, the day she was placing her second budget, NDA MPs were barracking and she lost her patience. Just a decade has passed and today she literally mesmerized everyone.