Question : We adopted secular Constitution but failed to stop rise of communal politics since the beginning…How can secular Constitution and communal politics go hand in hand?
Thank you for your question. We must all try and protect our secular Constitution as fiercely as we can. The RSS was founded in 1925 with the sole aim of bringing down our secular multicultural Republic. The RSS has been trying for almost a century to establish citizenship based on religion. The RSS’s aim of Hindu Rashtra is fundamentally antithetical to our Constitution as it is directed against 14% of the population and is thus fundamentally anti-democracy. Secular leaders have not been as pro-active against communal politics as they should have been. Communal or religion-based politics has no place in a modern democracy.
Question : I hope Trinamul wins in Bengal and retains the pride of Bengal . Bengal , politicians should progressively engage 100% with the current Bangladesh . Bengali Bhadralok , political or otherwise should display a better leadership to hold people together in Northern Bengal and Dooars from Kolkata. Bengal Subah in 1726 AD was the richest area in the world. We hope that under the leadership of Mamata Banerjee Bengal continues to grow. Also , leadership must reach out to East Asia and the littoral states of Bay of Bengal and forge true bridges . Delhi should be forgotten …that mindset should go. Forge your own path.
Will it ? Bengal is uniquely positioned geo strategically . Exploit / levereage. Best wishes 🙂
Thank you for your question. Let’s wait for the results on June 4th!
Question : In a society marked by excessive male domination what is the role, women individually and collectively, can play, to take their deserving place and assert their genuine causes and stands?
Thank you for your question. This is a great question on which many books and articles have been written. Sadly today we have a great deal of tokenism towards women and towards the cause of gender justice but still not enough representation of women or encouragement to women to play public roles. In spite of a law on 33% representation to women, not enough women are active in public life. I am taking the liberty of enclosing for your reading one of my articles. https://www.deccanherald.com/opinion/even-visible-women-find-it-hard-to-break-the-glass-ceiling-2962538. The All India Trinamool Congress under the leadership of India’s only woman chief minister Mamata Banerjee has been a trailblazer in creating women-focused welfare models and in giving representation to women. In the Lok Sabha polls this year, we have given almost 30% tickets to women. The Bengal Model of Women’s Empowerment should be emulated across India.
Question : If elected, will you strive for a law which will compell member of parliament or assemblies to resign from the house and on defection, as he or she is elected on a party symbol.
Thank you for your question. I agree that if you switch parties you must resign and win elections again on a fresh ticket, but this already happens. MLAs or MPs readily win elections even if they move to other parties. It is upto the voters to punish such representatives, but instead MLAs and MPs who play musical chairs are rewarded by voters again and again. So I am not sure whether a law will have the desired effect.
Question : Why are all Opposition supporters and their party leaders in the entire country haven’t come together on streets to corner Modi regime? There have been disasters after disasters, right from Covid mismanagement, making money off that tragedy through electoral bonds, wrestler protests, farmers protest, CAA protests, release of Bilkis Banos rapists, BJP taking out rallies in support of rapists, lakhimpuri incident, toppling of democratically elected govts, hurriedly destroying VVPAT slips of 2019, breaking if political parties, misuse and abuse of agencies and judiciary, subjugation of mainstream media at worst possible level, handing over airports and forest lands to Oligarchs, promoting Ramdev’s products by Union ministers claiming to cure Coronil, Modi inaugurating infrastructure that collapses month later, freezing of bank accounts of Kerala protestors recently, worst kind of abuses hurled at women on social-media [Neha Singh Rathore’s Twitter page is filled with such posts], dharavi redevelopment project to adani, barsu refinery protest, lynching of Muslims for silllest of reasons, Rafael scam, home minister’s bank getting heavy deposits Just before demonitzation comes into effect, custodial murder of Fr Stan Swamy and wrongful imprisonment of social activists and now sitting CMs, Pulwama incident just before elections, China’s intrusion on our territory….few that I remember. Looks like only people are fighting against this regime while Opposition has some kind of covert understanding with Modi and his oligarchs. I come from middle-class family, hope I won’t get in trouble for raising this
Thank you for your question. We are protesting and campaigning every day, 24*7. Sadly the media does not give us airtime nor does the print media cover our protests and rallies. I enclose for your reading my recent article on the record of the Modi government. We have been taking this message to the people. https://theprint.in/opinion/where-is-modis-report-card-hes-hiding-it-behind-mangalsutra-muslims-mass-distractions/2063080/
Question : Lakhs of voters who are residing outside their native state due to jobs won’t get a chance to vote because of complications in getting voter ID cards every time they change residence and tallying the name in local voting booths. Is there any simple solution to this issue? Can there be increased awareness campaign for citizens about it if there’s a true solution exists?
Good question. From our side, we would like to extend every help possible for voters to get their registration done and get their IDs. The EC I believe is also quite pro-active in this. You could write with your query to : cec@eci.gov.in.
Question : This question pertains to the dismal situation of secondary education. No country has ever transited to being ‘developed’ without high quality secondary education. However, in our case, only around 40% students are able to access secondary school, with many dropping out because there are no schools. We’re missing tens of thousands of teachers, esp for science,maths and English, apart from lacking infrastructure, equipment, labs and libraries. In the last few years, more boys have been dropping out of secondary schools than girls… As an RS MP, what do you intend to do to highlight this crucial issue for our demographic dividend for your party in Bengal (which hasn’t been doing as well as it could) and also in the parliament? Also, as a journalist of standing, do you believe you can motivate your fraternity to raise this in media?
Thank you, excellent question. Education standards are plummeting in our country, the situation is abysmal. The latest ASER report has shown that 8th standard children cannot read second standard texts or do basic maths. How will they get jobs or be able to compete in the global economy? I certainly intend to highlight this issue in parliament. I hope my journalist colleagues do their bit in reporting on India’s education calamity instead of constantly covering religious and communal politics. I take the liberty of enclosing a few paras from our TMC manifesto:
“The BJP-led Union Government has turned the University Grants Commission into a pitiful PR agent, focused on creating ‘selfie points’ and advertising controversial bills while also slashing funding for the Dept. of Higher Education by over ₹9,000 Crore.In a shameless attempt to saffronise history, the BJP-led Union Government is arm-twisting National Council of Educational Research and Training (NCERT) into arbitrarily altering narrations of historical events and rewriting Indian history in propagandist undertones
The BJP-led Union Government’s botched National Education Policy is yet another attack on federalism and fails to account for the distinct educational requirements, linguistic needs, and exam procedures of each state
Of the 18,956 sanctioned teaching positions in 45 Union Government universities, about one-third (6,028) were lying vacant as of early 2023
By discontinuing pre-matric scholarships of approximately ₹23,000 Crore, the BJP-led Union Government has put affordable education out of the reach of lakhs of India’s OBC and minority students.
India’s budget expenditure on education will be increased to 5% of the overall budget. TMC will ensure that education is re-prioritized. We will double the expenditure on education from 2.5% to 5% of overall budget.”
Question :
Madam,
I trust this correspondence finds you in good health and spirits.
I have been an avid reader of The Times of India, wherein I consistently find myself drawn to columns scribed by distinguished individuals such as yourself. Your insightful contributions are truly commendable.
Allow me to pose a few queries:
- As you hold the esteemed position of Member of Parliament representing the state of West Bengal in the Council of States, Rajya Sabha, have you contemplated advocating for the following issues:
i. The long-standing proposition to rename the state of West Bengal to Bengal, our cherished homeland.
ii. The enduring proposal to accord Bengali language the status of a Classical language in accordance with the Constitution of India.
iii. The protracted initiative to establish the West Bengal Legislative Council, serving as the upper house within the West Bengal Legislature, notwithstanding its prior passage in the Legislative Assembly on multiple occasions.
iv. The ongoing discord between the Chief Minister and the Governor regarding the appointment of the Vice Chancellor in state-run universities. As students, we find ourselves amidst tremendous turmoil due to this impasse.
Your insights and endeavors in addressing these matters would be immensely valued.
Thank you for your question. As Member of Parliament from my home state of Bengal I intend to raise the voices and demands of the people of Bengal. The renaming of West Bengal as “Bangla” has been our long standing demand. We are continuing to move every possible forum to press for the demands of Bengal, denial of funds to Bengal, step motherly treatment by the Modi government towards the people of Bengal as well as the damage that the Modi government is doing to our federal structure by refusing to address the concerns of states and not allowing autonomy to states. The root of the problem is the Modi government’s autocratic and dictatorial attitude towards the states and to opposition-ruled state governments. The Centre owes Bengal over 1 lakh crores in dues which have still not been paid. The problem of university appointments is a grave one. I shall certainly raise all these urgent matters in the House.
Question : I would like to know your views on Democracy & why we need it. I have seen responsible leaders of UAE & now Saudi Arabia taking their countries to new heights, in terms of not only economic and infrastructure development, but also societal changes for good in context to them.
Thank you for your question. There is no substitute for democracy in India. Democracy, as has been said, is the least worst form of government. It is the only form of government that is self-correcting through elections and the only form of government which can improve the conditions of humanity at large. It is the only form of government that can deliver prosperity to ALL. India cannot grow or succeed without democracy. Democracy is fundamental to our economic well being, given our sheer size, diversity and plurality of languages and cultures. To compare India to any other country is erroneous. The population of Saudi Arabia is 32 million, (Uttar Pradesh alone has a population of over 200 million people) India comprises 1.3 billion people with over 700 spoken languages. Multicultural, multireligious multifaith democracy is the only way forward for us. The highest growth period in post Independent India was 1999-2009, when India saw the most democratic governments.
Question : Do you forsee fall of BJP government at Centre and would TMC support a non TMC candidate for PM in event of fall of BJP.
Thank you for your question. Let’s wait for the results on June 4th! If the opposition comes to power, my view is we should have a woman Prime Minister. 🙂
Question : Parliament passes Bills that become Law/Act After the assent of the President of India. The Bill of Women’s Reservation was passed in the current Parliament, and assent was also available. But the Act/Law for Women Reservation not done in this current Parliament tenure? This is not a new precedent adopted by the ruling party/Govt? Is pending for the next Lok Sabha, is OK? or Not? No implementation before 2024, why? Since 2010, this issue has been pending in the Indian Parliament!
Thank you for your question. The 33% Representation for Women or Women’s Reservation Bill has been passed by Parliament in September 2023. It is now a law. But most parties, except the Trinamool Congress which gives more representation to women than 33%, do not follow the Women’s bill provisions.
Question : Hi Sagarika! Do you think vaccination of stray dogs in India can be an agenda for INDIA alliance? Almost all of India have stray dogs and they get infected with pathogens for diseases like rabies. Do you think there should be a nationwide program to vaccinate stray dogs so that those diseases don’t spread to humans? Recently we saw how a virus from bats put the entire world population to a standstill for over a year. There are amazing people in India working on free-ranging dogs and their help can be used in the process. Besides vaccination will reduce the fear of dog-bite in the population which eventually will lead to better treatment of stray dogs by humans. Dogs have been our best friends for centuries and they don’t deserve to be misunderstood by humans just because they don’t speak or we don’t understand their language.
Thank you for your question. Animal welfare is key to securing a hygienic and sustainable environment for the country and planet as a whole.
Question : There are particularly 4 or 5 streams in Indian politics namely the Congress stream the communist team the right wing hindutvavadi stream the lohiaite socialist stream and the Ambedkarite stream. Mamata Banerjee and trinamool Congress fairly belongs to the Congress stream. But why does it appears that mamata di is fairly ashamed of her congres roots. She refrains herself from even mentioning the fact that she was once the tallest youth congress leader in west bengal. Why is it so
Thank you for your question. As Mamata Banerjee has often said, the TMC remains firmly in the India alliance with the Congress and other parties at the national level. In Bengal we believe the CPIM and Congress function as fronts for the BJP. Of all leaders in India, Mamata Banerjee has consistently upheld the ideals of secular multi faith democratic India.
Question :
D/Mam,
Thanks for being in Silchar- my place, my alma mater.
Silchar in BV, is just another Jaffna of Assam.
The brotherhood between the Assamese and Bengali groups, badly daunted under this double engine sarkar of HBS.
Srimati Mamata Banerjee, should have delivered some local Sylhety dialogue, instead of Assamese . This was a prerequisite for winning the hearts of millions of Bengali voters.
Entire BV, is indebted to her love and affection. We can’t pay this back to her in any form or shape, but winning the Silchar LS, for her, which is a remote possibility, in the present political scenario, post Delimitation, hatched by, no other than, HBS .
Any way, my counseling will be limited only for Mamata Ji, for her next visit, if and when needed. A proper advance briefing, from her close political associates in Assam, would have served the purpose ,immaculately.
My request to you, will be, to appraise Mamata Ji, on this subject, utilising your good office and access.
I am a fan of yours and Rajdeep Ji ,though.
Thanks and regards.
PS. Many many congratulations on your being an MP (RS). May God bless you.
Thank you for your question and your suggestion. I absolutely adored being in Silchar and BV and am sure Didi did too. Silchar is wonderfully rich in culture and beauty, the Barak Valley remains one of India’s treasures.
Question : How is the democracy in India dead? As a common citizen we don’t see any dictatorship that has been affecting our lives.
Thank you for your question. The fact that you’re asking me the question shows that something troubles you. Here’s one of my columns for your reading pleasure: https://www.deccanherald.com/opinion/the-right-to-protest-is-fundamental-2914848
Question : Are you planning to set up an MP office or team of associates to provide secretarial help?
Thank you for your question. I have some wonderful colleagues already, thank you.
Question : Mam,why TMC gave candidates in outside of Bengal?There is no power of TMC outside of Bengal.Do you BJP will be benefitted for this decision of TMC?
Thank you for your question. Lets wait for the results of June 4th before we come to any conclusions.
Question : Mam,what is your opinion on electoral bond?
Thank you for your question. I am in full agreement with the honourable Supreme Court which has called Electoral Bonds unconstitutional and illegal.
Question : What is your opinion on the abrogation of Article 370 and 35A in Jammu and Kashmir ? Has this abrogation brought any real improvement in J&K ?
Thank you for your question. In all such initiatives, taking people along and building consensus is uppermost. We must win hearts and minds , not just aim for territorial dominance.
Question : What is your personal view and TMC’s view on introduction of Inheritance tax in India ?
Thank you for your question. This question should be directed to a Congress MP.
