NEW DELHI, Amidst the ongoing political and legal battle against a particularly intensive revision of the electoral roll, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee has taken an unusual form of protest, penning 26 poems on the subject.
Mamata Banerjee turns to poetry to protest against SIRTitled “SIR: 26 in 26”, the poems in the book stand out with titles like ‘Terror’, ‘Doom’, ‘Mockery’, ‘Fight’, ‘Democracy’ and ‘Who’s to Blame’. The book was released on 22 January at the 49th International Kolkata Book Fair.
In the introduction, Banerjee dedicated the book to “those who lost their lives in this destructive game”, alleging that a “relentless campaign of fear” had been waged on the people of Bengal.
He wrote that the poems arose from a “spirit of resistance”.
Titled ‘Doom’, the poem reads, “How long shall we be silent? Silence does not mean peace – it means life is falling away, becoming empty”.
“We want answers. And answers will be given in the people’s court,” it added.
Another poem titled ‘Morgue’ complains that “democracy is being beaten, scratched raw” and claims that protest itself has fallen under the grip of “agency-raj”.
During an informal interaction with reporters on the sidelines of a press conference here, the West Bengal chief minister claimed that he wrote the book in three days during the trip.
More Read
With 163 published books to her credit, Banerjee said she does not get pension as a former MP and has forgotten her salary as chief minister. Earnings from royalties for these books and other creative works sustain his personal expenses, he claims.
The founder of TMC is known for his wide range of creative pursuits. A prolific writer, he has written across genres including poetry, short stories, essays and political commentary.
He is also a painter, many of his works have been exhibited in India and internationally. He has composed songs and written lyrics on topics ranging from social themes and nature to human emotions.
This article was generated from an automated news agency feed without text modification
