Heard melodies

Sir — The enigmatic member of parliament from the Trinamul Congress, Kabir Suman, has ultimately showed his intention to resign from his party and his post (“Suman texts quit offer”, March 30). He apparently feels that he is not being given enough freedom to serve his constituency. He has been irresolute about staying on in the party or leaving it for the last one year or so, venting his displeasure against the TMC in public, putting his party chief in an awkward position. His occasional threats to quit the TMC had been warded off temporarily by his close friends and party associates in the past. A person obsessed with himself, and possessing a peculiar, inhibited mindset, is always a misfit in politics. Suman’s friends in the party had kept him in good humour all through, hoping that he would realize the political reality and be more circumspect in future. But that was not to be.

Indian politics may not suit a professed purist like Suman. But he should remain ever-grateful to Mamata Banerjee for bringing him to the political limelight. Suman also owes an explanation to his electorate, which voted him to power and are now rather unhappy with his irresponsible behaviour. Whatever may be the reactions of his partymen to his text message to Banerjee expressing his desire to resign, we can be sure that the Kabir Suman saga is going to end this time. The TMC has taken the right step by expelling Suman’s election agent, Mufazzal Hossain, from the party. I do not think that his resignation will give any political mileage to the Left Front or weaken the strength of the TMC. It is Suman himself who has made his exit from politics inevitable.

Yours faithfully,
Adhip Kumar Bose, Calcutta

Sir — Kabir Suman will be chiefly remembered for introducing in his songs such ordinary men as a rickshaw-puller or a construction worker, whom we generally forget after settling their payments. He also created a stir by embracing Islam and by changing his Brahman surname. Then he was bitten by the bug of politics ravaging West Bengal: grab power and retain it, come what may.

His frequent outbursts against the TMC and his recent decision to quit have brought to the fore the real face of the much talked about Change. Having done his job, it is time Suman went back to the stage for musical performance, from where he came and where he truly belongs.

Yours faithfully,
Samudra Gupta, Calcutta

Sir — The ditherings of Kabir Suman only show his immaturity. Since he is so inexperienced in political matters, he should better resign for the sake of the nation. His love for terrorists, who call themselves Maoists, is advertised in the media regularly, thus keeping him in news all the time. A person who is an elected MP should stay in Delhi most of the time to help the government in its functionings. But he prefers to sing songs in praise of Maoists.

Yours faithfully,
Benu Kumar Bose, Calcutta

Bad Samaritans

Sir — On March 17, I was returning to my home in Belghoria via Barrackpore Trunk Road from Shyambazar. A horrible accident halted my journey. A police van had collided with a motorbike being driven by a man whose wife was riding pillion. The accident resulted in severe injuries, with the lady bearing the brunt. To the utter amazement of everyone present on the scene, the police car, instead of helping the wounded, actually turned round and sped away. So much for the Good Samaritan image being presented by our esteemed cops.

The mayhem invariably resulted in a roadblock by the angry public. The entire stretch of B.T. Road, which is a major artery connecting the northern suburbs to the city proper, came to a standstill. And yet, there was no police intervention for at least an hour. I was shocked by the lackadaisical attitude of the police to such a critical situation.

I tried dialling the emergency number (100) of the Calcutta Police. The line connected after as many as nine attempts and after 20 minutes of continuous dialling. If the police cannot be informed about an emergency even in 20 minutes, what is the use of maintaining these numbers? (Can we imagine a 911 call in America remaining unanswered for more than a minute?) When an operator finally received the call, he calmly advised me to contact the local Baranagore police station for help, because, he said, the area in which the accident had occurred was outside his jurisdiction.

Yours faithfully,
Archisman Ponda, Calcutta

Sir — I’m routinely getting compound slips from traffic policemen alleging that I have jumped the hand signal. I acknowledge that this did happen once or twice. But how can it become a habit, especially when I have to pay a penalty every time I am charged with the offence? I had bought the motorbike to save money, keeping in mind the ever-increasing transport costs. But these compound slips, coupled with the rising price of petrol, has made life miserable for me. I wonder whether the compound slip is valid at all since it is issued ex parte, without letting the other side defend itself. Why is it that I am often notified of my offence several months after I have supposedly committed it? Moreover, motorbike drivers are often requested by policemen to give their friends a lift. When I have pointed out that I do not have an extra helmet, they have allowed me to flout the rule.

Owning a bike has become a source of constant headache since it is very difficult to get parking space. The other day, when the chief minister was about to pass, all police officers started shouting at me on the road, calling me names, as if I was a terrorist. If the police are so afraid of bikes, then why do they not ban them altogether from the roads of Calcutta?

Yours faithfully,
Kamlesh Agrawal, Calcutta