Mamata's madness: WB govt dumps English newspapers

The actions of the West Bengal Chief Minister and head of the Trinamool Congress, Mamata Banerjee, get more bizarre every day.

Yesterday, the West Bengal government issued a circular listing eight newspapers that could be purchased by state and state-aided libraries. There are a few Hindi and Urdu newspapers on the list and, of course, a few Bengali newspapers.

However, the highest circulated Bengali titles, Ananda Bazar Patrika and Bartaman, are not on the list.

No Telegraph. No Statesman. No Times of India. No Hindustan Times. Indeed, no English newspapers are on the list.

“It is felt that the newspapers/dailies, as named in the table, will, besides promoting language, particularly among the rural masses, significantly contribute to the development and spread of free thinking among the members,” says the circular.

That’s a bit of a contradiction: restricting the list of newspapers will ‘spread free thinking’.

What does the TMC hope to achieve through this not-quite-veiled attempt at preventing free speech?

Those who are deprived of their daily dose of English or unfriendly-to-TMC newspapers can still buy a copy.

Unless, of course, they cannot afford it.

In which case, they could still read a copy free in one of the thousands of newspaper ‘libraries’ that are found in most Indian villages and towns – including West Bengal.

This move does little to prevent the free thinking that the TMC seems keen to prevent, rather than promote.

What will the TMC do to prevent unfriendly news TV channels from being viewed (and there are at least eight Bengali news channels)? Ban the purchase of TVs?

What is disturbing is that Mamata Banerjee’s colleagues in the TMC either do not believe this decision is retrograde or are unable to convince her that it is so.

The circular is dangerous. If the TMC gets away with a ruling like this, we will, most certainly, see other states following – banning the purchase of newspapers that are less than friendly to a regime.

Justice Katju, chairman of the Press Council of India, needs to step in and ensure that the ‘ban’ is revoked immediately.