Black umbrellas to red shawls: A look at TMC and their innovative protest props

It seems placards and posters are now passé. The Trinamool Congress has found innovative ways to protest and that includes some bizarre props.

This Winter Session, the TMC leaders stayed in the news for their protests — but more than the issues it was the props they used that made headlines.

Black umbrellas bearing slogans:

To protest against the issue of black money, Trinamool Congress members brought black umbrellas with anti-government slogans painted on them inside Lok Sabha. However, not amused with their act an anguished speaker Sumitra Mahajan warned them not to force her take action against erring parliamentarians. “Such behaviour is neither acceptable nor justified,” she said.

Black shawls to protest against black money:

After black umbrellas, it was black shawls that Trinamool Congress members used in Lok Sabha to rake up the issue of black money. As soon as the Question Hour commenced, TMC members entered the House draped in black shawls. They raised slogans like ‘kala dhan wapas lao’ (bring back black money) before taking seats.

Earthen pots to protest MGNREGA:

Last week, MPs moved on from black umbrellas and shawls to demonstrating outside the parliament with earthen pots. They protested against government’s decision to amend the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA). The party demanded that instead of amending the Act, the Centre should raise the wages paid under the popular scheme that guarantees a minimum 100 days of employment in a year to those living below poverty line in rural areas. According to an Indian Express report, TMC leader Ghosh Dastidar arranged for the pots from a Pahargunj market.

Read diaries against Amit Shah:

This was probably the most impressive protest. TMC leaders held up red diaries outside Parliament a day after BJP President Amit Shah targeted West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee of shielding the guilty in the Saradha scam and Burdwan blast. The TMC leaders had said that Amit Shah’s name figured in a red diary purportedly recovered from jailed Sahara chief Subrata Roy. The MPs staged a protest outside the Parliament holding red diaries. Arranging the red Sahara diaries was Rajya Sabha MP Derek O’Brien’s responsibility, who readied it by wrapping ordinary diaries with red paper.

Holding cylinders to protest LPG hike:

In January too, TMC leaders lifted cylinders to protest against the LPG price hike (non-subsidised cooking gas,which customers buy after consuming their quota of subsidised cylinders) after the government announced a steep rise of Rs 220 per cylinder on firming international rates.

And guess whose brainchild were these props? None other than Mamata Banerjee.