West Bengal Waging A War Against Union of India. Is GOI Unwilling or Failing to Curb it?

Prime Minister came on inspection to assess damage caused by Cyclone Yaas in West Bengal on May 28 where, at the review meeting, Chief Minister of West Bengal along with West Bengal’s Chief Secretary remained absent keeping PM waiting for her. Before boycotting meeting with PM, West Bengal CM clearly communicated she won’t turn up if the review meeting’s invitee list was not revised. She perhaps had objection against presence of ‘the leader of the opposition’ there. In her description, ‘leader of the Opposition’, a Constitutionally recognized post, turned ‘a local MLA’. However, leader of the opposition & Nandigram MLA Shuvendu Adhikari was present there as per protocol & she didn’t turn up as declared. Why West Bengal CM behaved the way she behaved was no mystery. Why BJP & Ministers of GOI expected her to behave otherwise was. West Bengal CM is rendering all possible signals refusing to abide by rules and conventions of the Union of India. Why is UOI failing to read them?

Judicial dictates too sometimes amounting to validation of her unique ways of defiance of Constitutional protocols. Absconding IPS Rajiv Kumar was granted anticipatory bail by the Hon’ble Calcutta High Court. Didn’t the Hon’ble Court end up upholding service rule violation by a Public Servant? The Hon’ble Calcutta High Court didn’t slam in strong words West Bengal CM’s 6 hour-long DHARNA at CBI Office & stone pelting by mob outside Nizam Palace. Did Judiciary try to normalize stone-pelting? Would Union of India have to comply with her unique ways of operations while coming to West Bengal or would she necessarily have to comply with GOI under any circumstances is the question to be duly addressed for ever.

There are more shocking facts corroborating with the assumption that she’s not alone in her rebel. As reported by the media, in 2018, West Bengal’s Finance Department led by the then Finance Secretary H K Diwedi denied to co-operate with Comptroller & Auditor General of India, a separate Constitutional body, to let them conduct Process Audit of West Bengal’s welfare schemes. While Process Audit could have exposed defalcations of Government Treasury, it was stymied by the non-co-operation of West Bengal’s Finance Department. However, can it be marked as a fault of the State of West Bengal only? Why didn’t Government of India’s the then Finance Secretary, Dr. Hasmukh Adhia intervene in it?

In this context, it may be noted that the Union Public Services as well as All-India Services (which includes IAS & IPS) are enumerated as matter no. 70 of the “List I – Union List” of the Seventh Schedule of The Constitution of India (not vide any subsequent amendment, but since the inception of the Constitution), and vide Article 246 (1), the “Parliament has exclusive power to make laws with respect to any of the matters enumerated in List I in the Seventh Schedule (in this Constitution referred to as the “Union List”).” Hence, the service records of all the IAS and IPS officers are maintained at Delhi irrespective of their cadre or place of posting.

Thus, was it impossible for National Revenue Secretary to intervene against West Bengal’s Finance bureacrats’ indiscipline & start disciplinary procedures against them? Answer is in negative. May it be assumed that Central Revenue Secretary was guarding Finance Secretary of West Bengal? Even then, didn’t the then Finance Minister and/or Prime Minister have power to intervene? Hasmukh Adhia was a Gujarat cadre IAS. Was Adhia safeguarding Dwivedi? While West Bengal CM was giving clarion call “won’t let Bengal be Gujarat”, was PM Modi aware of such probable bureaucratic chemistry between Gujarat & West Bengal? Who was gratifying whom?

Moreover, while West Bengal Bureaucrats didn’t co-operate with CAG, why didn’t CAG proceed against the State of West Bengal?

However, 2018’s Finance Secretary, after continuing as FS from 2012 to 2020, became Additional Chief Secretary, Home in 2020. Did the Ministry of Home Affairs, Government of India issue any ‘show-cause’ notice to him against post-poll Bengal violence? The answer is in negative. Had MHA done it, people of West Bengal & India would have known the official statement of GOWB about Bengal violence. Nothing such happened. While thousands of people had to leave the State, innumerable ladies got raped, countable numbers have died, Additional Chief Secretary Home, West Bengal not only remained comfortable on his chair, but was placed as Chief Secretary, West Bengal on May 31, immediately after Alapan Bandyopadhyay retired from the same post. Not only Ministry of Home Affairs didn’t put his chair on fire as yet, technically & procedurally GOI facilitated to place him as present CS. Why did GOI give positive nod to appointment of H K Diwedi as new Chief Secretary while Shri Sunil Gupta was senior most after Alapan Bandyopadhyay? Are doubts about BJP too being hand in gloves with Bureaucrats of West Bengal irrational?

The Finance Secretary of 2018, H K Diwedi was perhaps saved by the then Revenue Secretary Hasmukh Adhia, but who’s saving Additional Chief Secretary Home, Bengal, H K Diwedi now? Are all being set without the control of Home Minister of India?

Many common people are not aware that Chief Secretary of a State cannot be appointed without GOI’s nod. They’re giving benefit of doubt to GOI saying it’s GOWB who appointed H K Diwedi as CS. However, those who’re aware know that H K Diwedi’s appointment as CS by GOWB was definitely preceded by GOI’s green signal as it’s a legal pre-requisite. However, isn’t it legitimate to question why GOI allowed Dwivedi’s appointment as CS at this very juncture while apparent slugfest over ‘Alapan Bandyopadhyay issue’ was still continuing between GOWB & GOI? Who is misleading common people assuming them gullible not to be aware of administrative nitty gritty?

West Bengal’s Chief Secretary retired on May 31. All his defiance to comply with West Bengal Governor in several earlier occasions, his audacity not to attend following due protocol PM’s review meeting on Cyclone Yaas couldn’t be acted against. It would be relevant to mention here that as per law, no action can be taken against a Government Employee post 2 years of his retirement. Trends suggest Alapan Bandyopadhyay would be able to pass 2 years smoothly post May 31, 2021 without facing any hurdles beyond which he won’t remain answerable any more for any administrative lacunae in his tenure. West Bengal CM is by his side in West Bengal. Who’s by his side at Delhi?

3 IPSs of West Bengal who were sent on Central Deputation by MHA after December 10, 2020 due to dereliction of duties in security arrangements for J P Nadda’s rally in Diamondharbour still didn’t join the given deputation & continuing to serve the State of West Bengal. Have they been suspended by MHA for non-compliance & dereliction of duties as yet? Of course not.

All these gestures of the Government of India corroborates with the assumption that GOI is in collusion with GOWB & political slugfest between the two is a contrived window-dressing in order to politically manipulate public psyche of West Bengal.

After West Bengal CM boycotting PM’s review meeting on Cyclone Yaas, Governor Jagdeep Dhankar tweeted “Such boycott not in consonance with constitution and federalism. Certainly by such actions neither public interest nor interest of state has been served.”

“When Hon PM Shri @narendramodi stands strong with the citizens of West Bengal in wake of cyclone Yaas, Mamata ji should also set aside her ego for the welfare of people. Her absence from the PM’s meeting is murder of constitutional ethos & the culture of cooperative federalism.” Tweeted Shri J P Nadda.

“पश्चिम बंगाल का आज का घटनाक्रम स्तब्ध करने वाला है। मुख्यमंत्री व प्रधानमंत्री व्यक्ति नहीं संस्था है। दोनों जन सेवा का संकल्प और संविधान के प्रति निष्ठा की शपथ लेकर दायित्व ग्रहण करते हैं”। Tweeted Shri Rajnath Singh.

One who lives in West Bengal is expected to be more surprised by the statements of Governor Dhankar, Raksha Mantri Rajnath Singh & BJP National President J P Nadda than by CM's behaviour. While she’s consistently and predictably recalcitrant against Constitutional liabilities, why did the other side feel stranded or shocked by her gesture might rather be a matter of research. It is no less frustrating that in spite of havoc bloodshed in West Bengal under her leadership pre and post poll, Nadda’Ji couldn’t contemplate murder of mere abstract things like “constitutional ethos & the culture of cooperative federalism” etc. here. What could be the tenable reason behind J P Nadda’s apparent faith upon West Bengal CM’s commitments towards Constitutional ethos while there were no dearth of corroborative evidences on the contrary?

Hindu Bangalis of West Bengal seems heading towards apocalypse & today’s BJP, which once was founded by Syamaprasad Mookerjee, seems integrally instrumental & in collusion with West Bengal CM to let it happen. As GOI is either failing or unwilling to fix an iron fist on Bureaucratic manipulations in West Bengal, do BJP & Central Ministers have locus standi to be critical of West Bengal CM & her gestures?

A famous dialogue by Lord Varys from the blockbuster TV Series ‘Game of Thrones’ would be apt. “Power resides where men believe it resides.”