The Politics of Nature's Fury

The cyclonic rainstorm that hit Kolkata is purported to have caused a handful of deaths. But an interesting offshoot has been how the storm has created a political stage for the state legislature to exploit, and that too with elections around the corner. The Trinamul Congress leader Mamata Bannerjee announced the cancellation of a trip to Delhi as a step needed in a hour of crisis. The political gameplay bears striking resemblance to the 1978 floods that had the then CPM Government utilize it for electoral gains.

Delving into the lack of disaster management infrastructure, the current state Government in Bengal, Mamata dug at previous ruling parties evidently forgetting her own stints, and lack of productive governance thereof. Just goes to show that when it comes to political motivation, even nature's fury is a prospective weak area to be tapped into.