“You Are Successful, Didi”: Bengal Educationist’s Scathing Open Letter to Mamata Banerjee
Renowned educationist Meeratun Nahar voices her anguish over the state of education, youth, and governance in West Bengal in a sharply-worded open letter.
Dear Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee,
You are successful. Unquestionably, thoroughly successful. Not in the conventional sense of governance, but in reshaping the spirit of an entire population—bending it until it nearly broke.
You have managed to distract and disarm the people of West Bengal with fairs, spectacles, allowances, and empty rituals. The silence around the injustices in this state speaks louder than any protest. And that silence—willing, fearful, indifferent—is your greatest achievement.
A Society in Silence
Even after everything, the people remain quiet. Take Cooch Behar, for instance. Your party’s student wing, in broad daylight, marched through the streets—intoxicated, hurling vulgarities like “motherboard”—and the nation watched it unfold passively on television and mobile screens. Yes, Bengal is moving forward—but towards what?
Schools today are not just short of teachers. They are missing students too. Parents no longer stress over education, because they no longer see a future in it. Those who still care—whether from among the general public or your own party—know well that sending a child to a government school is akin to sacrificing their potential. Even a struggling pan-seller or tea vendor will choose to starve rather than deny their children access to private education.
Once students are handed mobile phones in Class 11, most of their lives spiral off course. And as for empowerment? A thousand-rupee monthly allowance through Lakshmir Bhandar has seemingly replaced the need for dignity, progress, or accountability.
A Scene From “Hirak Rajar Deshe”
Bengal today resembles the fictional land in Satyajit Ray’s Hirak Rajar Deshe. Everyone sees what’s happening. Everyone knows who is responsible. And yet—no one speaks. Thousands—15,000 or even 20,000—whose legitimate jobs were snatched away in recruitment scams, haven’t risen up with the courage or unity one would expect. Why? Because they still hope you will offer a lifeline through the backdoor.
You have instilled helplessness in even the most educated and competent people of this state. That is your greatest political feat. These are people who don’t dare protest anymore. Who think, “They lost their jobs, but that’s not my concern.” You’ve reshaped their thinking from within. Today, even qualified candidates believe that without a bribe, there is no hope. Many have lost faith in their own merit.
Pitch Darkness or Blinding Light?
Just as nothing is visible in pitch-black darkness, nothing can be seen when blinding light floods the eyes. I don’t know whether Bengal is lost in darkness or blinded by your version of progress.
Educated, degree-holding young men and women have been reduced to “MA-pass tea sellers” and “graduate fuchka vendors.” What an ironic testament to your model of development.
We are paying the price for our silence. After the 2021 Assembly election, when horrific acts of violence unfolded in rural Bengal, the educated urban population stayed quiet. Today, as the urban class suffers in turn, the rural populace remains equally unmoved. The weight of this collective apathy is something we must all bear.
Who Will Be Next?
Now, whispers of mass terminations among primary school teachers are growing louder. There are far more of them than the 26,000 already affected. Will their fate be just as grim? The very thought is chilling.
But none of this shakes you. Whenever elections approach, you fall back on religious polarization—just like the British colonizers who ruled India by dividing it. In fact, in that regard, you’ve surpassed them.
The Collapse of Governance
Your lies—delivered with conviction—have no rival. Under your rule, West Bengal ranks among the worst in the world in education, healthcare, youth employment, and governance. And the Bengali diaspora across India faces humiliation, not because of their identity, but because of the perception of what Bengal has become.
What new scenes will this state witness in the name of “development”? In Bengal today, progress parades on the streets—but the reality underneath is deeply unsettling.
But yes, Didi—you are successful.
You have transformed the spirit of Bengal.
Salute to you.
Sincerely,
Meeratun Nahar
(Shrimati Meeratun Nahar is a renowned educationist, professor, thinker, cultural enthusiast, writer, and social activist from West Bengal.)
Translated from Bengali by Aritra Sarkar,
Music Teacher, Delhi
News Story by Payel Sengupta
