I love

Mamata Banerjee.

Yes. I'm a big fan. Have always been and probably always will be. I may never vote for her, may never want her to be my country's Prime Minister. Hell! Not even my state's Chief Minister, but I can't help looking up to (figuratively, not literally -- she's much shorter than me) this diminutive rabble-rouser who's Dominatrix come down to Dharmatala.

Dharmatala.

That's where her rally was held, and each trip to the office loo (for me, not her) brought the strains of her argumentative voice into my not-so-sensitive ears. She's constantly fighting losing battles, but you think that gets her down? Oh no, it sure doesn't. Every time she gets lost on the way to winning a cause, she does the next best thing -- she simply finds another one. What get up and go. What optimism.

Optimism personified.

I'd wanted that to be the title of one of the books that I will write someday. That's also two words that fit me perfectly. And I think, they fit Mamata Di just as well as her drab white sarees. Honestly though, I wouldn't want to see her turned out in a flaming red. She's too fiery on her own, even in those kaalo paar shaada shaarees that she is always seen in. It would make a prize-winning painting though. I can see it now...

'Didi in red'. By M.F. Hussain. If he ever manages to get back into the country -- barefoot or otherwise.

Why do I love her so?

She can stop traffic. One whiff of the word bandh from her lips and revved up cars stall automatically, workaholics sleep an extra two hours, and Kolkata decides to take a day off. Sadly, this has been happening less and less of late. The word bandh seems to have lost its edge. Footballs now stay home on bandh days and cars gingerly venture out of their garages and no-parking parking spaces, but the woman still can stop traffic. And she's no great shakes in the looks department either.

I think I'd like to be a politician just like her someday. Did I mention I'm a fan?
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PS: Moo is not happy with earlier blog. So do take a trip down to the comment section of this post and see what he is all grumbly and upset about.