Nandigram is a do or die battle. Is that why no one’s wearing masks?

The TMC forces were led by ‘Bengal Tiger’ Mamata Banerjee, mounted on her trusty wheelchair, the BJP by the king of polls, Amit Shah, aboard a saffron chariot.

Huge crowds attend Amit Shah's roadshow in Nandigram, West Bengal, on 30 March 2021 | PTI

There have been many battles, but none quite like this one. The ‘Battle of Nandigram’, as many call it on television, took place in March 2021 and lasted 20 days. It was fought bitterly between the Trinamool Congress and the Bharatiya Janata Party. The TMC’s forces were led by the redoubtable ‘Bengal Tiger’ Mamata Banerjee, mounted on her trusty wheelchair, and the BJP by the king of polls, Amit Shah, aboard a saffron chariot.

TV commentators dubbed it as “kaante ki takkar” (News 24), “high stakes battle” (News X), a “do or die fight” for Mamata — “it’s Nandigram or nothing” (India Today). “Temperatures are soaring, political too”, on a “very sultry day”, commented the CNN News18 reporter on the surcharged atmosphere.

Let the history books record that ‘Didi v/s Dada’ (India Today) was one of the most bizarre battles to be ever fought as both sides remained on the offensive for the entire contest – Mamata laid siege to Nandigram after her erstwhile lieutenant Suvendu Adhikari left her and joined forces with the BJP; Adhikari and the BJP waged an all-out war against Mamata on the seat she was trying to snatch from Adhikari, the sitting MLA.

Hostilities on the ground ended on 30 March and the constituency went to the hustings 1 April. “Who will be made a fool on April 1?” asked News 24. Well, on April Fool’s Day it could be anyone – even CPI (M)’s Minakshi Mukherjee and her foot soldiers, all armed in masks? Well, at least they were wearing masks, which is more than what can be said for the main contestants in Nandigram. Which is why neither party nor its leaders deserve to win. They are a public hazard on the campaign trail, completely ignoring all Covid-19 precautions at a time when it is at its virulent worst. How can the public be asked to wear masks, social distance, when we see them, on TV, doing nothing of the sort?

Masks are off

In ‘Yuddham 2021’ (India Ahead) TV news channels like CNN News18 showed us live coverage of Adhikari meeting Home Minister Amit Shah for his roadshow in Nandigram, Tuesday, and we saw that they greeted one another without masks. Worse, Adhikari put his arm around Shah.

On the rath yatra, they were unmasked. Even during interviews to news channels, where Shah proudly claimed his party was winning over 200 seats in Bengal, he did not wear a mask, although most of the journalists were suitably protected.

Meanwhile, Mamata Banerjee wheeled along her roadshow, in a cap and a mask, which then she frequently discarded. And when Kamal Haasan, chief of Makkal Needhi Maiam (MNM), welcomed the CNN News18 reporter into his vehicle, she was masked up but all that Haasan wore on his face was a big smile beneath a trim beard.

And let’s not even begin to talk about the crowds, the public at the rallies who “still do not concede there is anything like Covid”, observed the NewsX correspondent, aghast.

As they flout all Covid-19 norms, “cases surge” (Mirror Now).  Indeed, it is unnerving to watch ‘Battleground Bengal’ (Times Now) one moment and then switch to ‘Covid Alert’ in the other — India on the “verge of massive crisis” (Mirror Now) which “soon…will be impossible to control” (News 18 India). Or to witness Republic Bharat celebrate the success of ‘Shah ka roadshow – janata ka tsunami’ alongside ‘Corona ka doosra leher’ playing out on the streets of Mumbai (News 18 India). Enough to send a shiver down your spine…

You can’t say the news channels haven’t tried to make them listen: there has been extensive coverage of the “uptick… significant spike” (NDTV 24×7) in various parts of the country, from Gujarat and Maharashtra to Karnataka. India Today went after “Covid villains”, including a Jharkhand Congress MLA celebrating Holi — “No country for Covidiots,” the channel remarked.

Zee News took to the streets in Pune and other cities, and found that no one was social distancing or masked — “Why are you not taking care?” demanded the anchor of the viewers.

“Mask up India,” said Mirror Now; “Be afraid, second wave dangerous,” warned Zee Hindustan — but no one appears to be listening. Who knows why not. Perhaps, they practise yoga exercises demonstrated by Baba Ramdev on India TV, to specifically protect themselves from the coronavirus?

But ask yourself: if reporters can speak with their masks on, why can’t politicians?

Gotra is important, not masks

Politicians and everyone else seemed more concerned about Mamata’s gotra that made its TV debut Tuesday after Didi announced she was a Shandilya, at a Nandigram rally. Immediately, thereafter, news channels spoke of her playing the “gotra card” (News 18 India), the “Hindu card” (Times Now). Zee Hindustan felt she was forced to reveal her Hindu credentials to combat the BJP’s onslaught because the Muslim vote alone would not ensure her victory. “She is eating out of (BJP’s) hands,” commented the News X anchor, Wednesday. “She’s following the bait put out by the BJP,” added Navika Kumar, Times Now. “She has gone all out,” said Tanvi Shukla on Mirror Now.

As well she might. According to the Republic TV reporter, Amit Shah’s “mega” roadshow was beating all records — people were straining to catch a glimpse of the home minister, he said, and there was an outpouring of love for him. Republic Bharat suggested that Shah would make the BJP lotus “bloom” in West Bengal. Aaj Tak was equally impressed — people are lining up to see Shah, said the reporter, and “there’s only one colour you can see wherever you look — saffron’’.

Watching the ‘mega’ coverage of the ‘mega’ showdown in Nandigram, you were reminded of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s mocking words – “Didi, oh Didi….”

Views are personal. 

Edited by Anurag Chaubey