Kolkata: It was the lull before the storm when the office-goers were frantically looking to reach home after a hard day's toil. The storm was imminent which was evidenced since early in the morning. From Howrah station to Sealdah station, a sea of people coming out to make the Trinamool Congress' Martyrs' Day on Thursday, July 21, was witnessed after a recess of two years.
India has already seen the charismatic women leaders Indira Gandhi, J Jayalalitha and a few others. But Mamata Banerjee probably has eclipsed all if popularity is taken as a parameter. The streets were full of motorbikes with party workers. It needs no mention that all roads led to Esplanade where the West Bengal Chief Minister reached at 12:52.
Cameos from Bollywood's 'Khamosh' man Shatrughan Sinha, GTA chief executive Anit Thapa, TMC All-India general secretary Abhishek Banerjee warmed up the stage to make the folly a grand success. It seemed, for the last two years, the Mamata fans were eagerly waiting for the return of the day after a prolonged COVID disruption.
The presence of political heavyweights like Mayor Firhad Hakim, industry minister Partha Chatterjee, sports minister Aroop Biswas et. al. made the event a high-security zone. However, the dais was also not bereft of glamour. Shatrughan Sinha, Nusrat Jahan, Mimi Chakraborty, Ananya Banerjee, June Malia added to the glamour quotient at the spectacular show of strength.
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With leaders offering fiery speeches, the rain god had other plans. Abhishek Banerjee was seen drenched in a spell of a shower during his speech. But overzealous people stayed put in anticipation of the Trinamool supremo's impending appearance on the dais after two years. The all-important moment came at 12.52 pm when Mamata Banerjee appeared on the dais backed by a loud cheer from the crowd which had gathered there from every nook and corner of the state.
In her inimitable style, she once again launched a scathing attack on the BJP and also didn't spare the CPIM. Puffed rice was one thing that she picked to crucify the Centre for implementing GST on the item. Besides puffed rice, she attacked the Centre on rising cooking gas and fuel prices across the country. Mamata Banerjee in her commanding tone called Bengali film superstar Dev Adhikari to hold aloft a replica of a gas cylinder while she was training guns at the Centre.
On the other hand, the crowd had a variety of fans who overcame all odds to make it to the meeting and listen to their favourite leader's speech. Meanwhile, there were both euphoria and suffering were witnessed on the streets of the City of Joy. If lakhs of people thronged the junction in front of the Victoria House, many were thwarted on their way to emergency services.
Ashoknagar of North 24 Parganas resident Subrata Mondal came to the hospital with his sick son. After the doctor's checkup, Mondal had a tough time returning home. He sat helplessly outside the Sealdah station before journalists and police helped him enter the station. Similarly, two women Rakhi Roy and Mampi Roy from Karimpur were supposed to visit SSKM Hospital with a baby but were forced to go back without getting a bus from Sealdah station.
There were also people who visited the Maidan to get a glimpse of Mamata but failed to reach anywhere close to the dais. They roamed around the area in central Kolkata to catch the frenzy.
PTI
