Video clippings from the civil society interaction with Mamata Banerjee have now been doing the rounds on social media sites because of the comments made by actress Swara Bhasker.
West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee is on a three-day visit to the Western state of Maharashtra. The TMC supremo, after the landslide victory in assembly elections this year, has been trying to spread her party’s wings in other states we well. Owing to similar reasons, she met veteran politician Sharad Pawar and other members of civil society in Mumbai.
Filmmaker Mahesh Bhatt, lyricist Javed Akhtar, actors Shatrughan Sinha, Richa Chaddha, besides Swara Bhaskar, comedian Munawar Faruqui, and Sudheendra Kulkarni among others were present for her interaction with civil society.
Mamata Banerjee with lyricist Javed Akhtar during her interaction with civil society in Mumbai.
Video clippings from the event have now been doing the rounds on social media sites because of the comments made by actress Swara Bhasker during the interaction.
Swara Bhasker’s comments
Artists are finding it difficult to “tell stories” and the government is using sedition law and UAPA provisions indiscriminately, Swara Bhasker said during the interaction.
“There is a state which is distributing UAPA (Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act) and sedition charges like a ‘Prasad’ from God we don’t want to pray to,” Ms Bhasker said.
“Artists today are facing a lot of resistance in telling stories. There are many who have risked their livelihoods and careers to keep the resistance alive,” said the actor, who is vocal about political and social issues on social media.
Comedians Munawar Faruqui, Aditi Mittal, Agrima Joshua have been targeted by right-wing groups and Mr Faruqui spent a month in jail (for allegedly hurting religious sentiments), she pointed out.
There was also an instance of a venue being vandalised for hosting some comedians, Ms Bhasker said.
#Watch| Actress Swara Bhaskar tells #WestBengal CM #MamataBanerjee in the interactive session in Mumbai, “There is a state which is distributing the UAPA and sedition charges as a prasad from a God we don’t want to pray to.” pic.twitter.com/oG756fiUpw
— Pooja Mehta (@pooja_news) December 1, 2021
Common citizens are facing an “unaccountable mob” which is being used by the ruling dispensation while the police and the state are giving it free rein, the actor alleged.
Swara Bhasker’s comments have been perceived well by one section, while the other section has raised questions over her statements during the interaction.
Questions over MVA’s cedibilty
To be clear, this interaction was held in Mumbai, the capital of Maharashtra and not in Kolkata, the capital of West Bengal. The ruling coalition in Maharashtra comprises of the three parties opposing the BJP- Shiv Sena, NCP and Congress. The bollywood industry is mainly based in Mumbai. The stand-up comedy scene has also originated and flourished in the Maharashtra capital. Majority of bollywood celebrities and stand-up comics, including Swara Bhasker and Munawar Faruqui reside in Mumbai.
After the video of the interaction went viral, the critics of the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) government have been questioning if the same complaints could not be made to the leaders in the Maharashtra government and whether the bollywood actress was not comfortable in seeking help from Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray or senior politician Sharad Pawar, instead of raising the issues with the Chief Minister of another state.
Several shows of comic Munawar Faruqui have been cancelled in Mumbai itself in recent times. The Habitat, a prime venue for stand-up comedy performances in Mumbai, has been threatened of vandalism by right-wing fringe groups. In 2020, under the same MVA government, MNS supporters vandalised The Habitat, reacting to a 2019 act by stand-up comedian Agrima Joshua which had been circulating on social networking sites, in which she allegedly insulted Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj. However, no minister in the ruling MVA government condemned the violence or tried to protect the comics and venue.
Remember a few weeks ago when MNS workers vandalised The Habitat's studio just because a standup comedian performed at the venue? BMC is a legal body, MNS isn't. Kangana's office was illegal, The Habitat wasn't. But I don't remember y'all talking about #DeathOfDemocracy back then pic.twitter.com/9lfBzsQCuO
— Sankul Sonawane (@Sankul333) September 10, 2020
Is it because of the inaction and apathy of the MVA government towards artists that Swara Bhasker had to voice the concerns to Mamata Banerjee? Do Swara Bhasker and other artists who attended the interaction not believe in the Uddhav Thackeray-led government and police? Do they not feel safe to voice their issues to the MVA leaders?
Though Mamata Banerjee is attempting to build an image of a national leader, she does not happen to have any control over the law and order in Maharashtra. With videos of the aforementioned interaction gaining traction, questions have been raised over credibility of Maharashtra CM Uddhav Thackeray and his MVA leaders.
“In a non-BJP government, these guys are complaining to an another chief minister – shows how incompetent Uddhav Thackeray is,” one of the local political enthusiasts told HW News.
“The MVA government has taken a huge beating. This woman (Mamata Banerjee) has destroyed their image with this one event. This video is traveling heavily on social media. In cricket it’s called hit wicket – she has made a fool of Sharad Pawar & Uddhav Thackeray,” another person said.
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