LALGARH - AN ADMINISTRATIVE LESSON

The ongoing police action in Lalgarh in West Bengal presents a gloomy scenario of the state from both political and administrative point of view.While the opportunists will seek to find means of sustenance in the turmoils of Lalgarh,what need to be addressed are the sorry state of affairs in the political system of Bengal and the plight of the poverty stricken people of the area along with many other regions of the state.

From the administrative point of view, Lalgarh can be seen as a victim of bureaucratic callousness and failure of the state machinery to prioritize the objectives and take timely measures.The Maoist problem was not born in a single day.It was the result of long sustained grievances of the poor people who despite lofty promises of the government, were always in the receiving end.The government despite claiming to be messiah of the peasants and poorer sections of the society hardly cared for them and basked in the glory of thumping political victories in the past.

Tyranny of the state administration paired with arrogance of the local party workers of the left front government to make the situation worse.The people who benefited from the social welfare measures were the active supporters of the ruling party whereas those with other political affiliation or even no political opinion continued to be marginalized.While the opportunists entrenched themselves, democratic centralism was used as a tool to dismiss any dissent or critique as questioning the so called party line.Lalgarh was a reflection of such overall administrative and political failure.

The use of force can temporarily solve the problem.Immediate relief measures can satisfy a few of the marginalized people of Lalgarh.But that is hardly the avenue to handle the crisis.Very soon another Lalgarh may revolt.What needs to be done is introspection of the ruling party coupled with a concrete plan for development.It must be understood that the patience of people to bear with a non functioning bureaucracy or tyrant,arrogant political party has a breaking point.Unless a politics based on the demands of the poor and a radical transformation of power relations is foregrounded, unless careerists are pruned, unless there is a drastic course correction by the party leaders, future seems to be gloomy, for both Lagarh and the state government itself.