#Books: Didi - The Indomitable Mamta Banerjee

Six months ago I came across Mamta Banerjee's exclusive interview of 2004 on Walk the Talk by Shekhar Gupta and this was the first interview that gives you a glimpse of Didi the person. In the previous videos of Didi, I have seen her scolding someone or losing her temper so it never piqued my interest largely because of the lack of knowledge about the Bengal politics. But I really enjoyed watching this interview with Shekhar Gupta because she seems cool and she takes Shekhar Gupta to her party office, they walk in her locality. However, this video is memorable for me because of the important lesson I learned from Didi. It was in this interview that I came to know that she is a poet, an author and prolific painter and has published around 13 books which are indeed impressive considering how demanding her life in politics is she could strike a balance to pursue her interests. When Shekhar Gupta asked about how she finds time to do all this to which she replied that her brain was injured a few years back, as a result, she feels sleepy after 36 hours and so when she doesn't feel sleepy, she paints or reads and write. This is something I found very fascinating and seeing her bright eyes in the videos while she was showing her paintings and books to Shekhar Gupta. I learned two lessons one to try to strike a balance and second to make use of all your time. So, when two weeks I saw the social media posts of the book Didi: The untold Mamta Banerjee by Shutapa Paul I immediately bought it to understand Didi and understand her journey.

Shutapa starts the book with an interesting prologue describing the win of Didi and the excitement among her supporters. Thus, describing the present political scenario she describes her meeting with Mamta Banerjee which is beautifully written which establishes trust in terms of this biography being more authentic. All though Didi could not make time to narrate her story to Shutapa, she asked her to refer her memoir but Shutapa went two steps ahead and interviewed some people from Didi's close circles.

Early Life

Didi's early life chapters are filled with inspiring anecdotes and evoke emotions in the reader. Shutapa narrates how Mamta was her father's favourite and how growing up in the late sixties and seventies considering the uncertainty in Calcutta during those days. Her father was an active congress supporter and was a generous man, it seems he always cared for the poor and always shared things with the underprivileged in his locality. As a child, Mamta developed an interest in politics as such conversations were common in Banerjee household. But after a few years, her Father passed away. Therefore, Mamta had all the responsibility on her shoulders. When her mother would be ill. She would cook and complete all the household chores and help her siblings.
 One of the heartwarming anecdotes from school days is her relationship with her teacher Sati which continues till date. Sati was a young teacher and she describes Mamta as an average but sincere student who was always thoughtful. She would never go down with other students. She would stay quite with silent determination. Sati helped Mamta gain confidence by motivating her and she wrote a poetry for Sati which is cherished in her memory. Her teachers admire her, even today when she is on a political rally she comes to them and touches their feet.

College days and Political Debut 

In college days the quite Mamta got involved in student politics. Those days student unions were about tabling the student's problem with the principal and she also admits of teaching in a school, working a milk depot and giving tuitions while in college. She rose quickly in popularity while in college. She was the only youth female leader at that time. One of the most important incidents that made Mamta stand out was when she threw herself on the ground to block the convoy of Jaiprakash Narayan. This incident made all the Congress leaders take note of this brave young kid.

Now, she was famously referred to as "Street Fighter." In 1984, Late Somnath Chatterjee was contesting the election and the Congress as directed by Rajeev Gandhi was looking for young talent and it was former President of India and during those days the senior Congress Leader selected Mamata to contest the election. Somnath Chatterjee was an accomplished politician and Mamta had devised an incredible campaign named "Mama, You have won enough, now let me have a chance."

She had already made her political debut and was a star politician. Rajeev Gandhi became her mentor and always cared for her. She shared a special bond with Rajeev Gandhi. In her early years in politics, Shutapa describes many such incidents that highlight her fearlessness and her indomitable will.

Madam Chief Minister

As one progresses reading her early political life when she was at the peak of her career. There came a time when she lost some control, it was the beginning of non-cooperation in her party among her supporters due to her autocratic ways and uncompromising nature. There was also a time when Pranab Mukherjee and Mamta Banerjee shared a hostile relationship.
During this time she resigned as the Union Minister and went back to Bengal to serve the people. then came a time when she was disappointed with the Congress Leadership and she set out with a vision to start her own party Trinamool Congress. She was already in the hearts of people and she took this risk and only emerged victorious. She had a breakdown and turned into a wounded tigress but soon she was back in the ring as the first woman Chief Minister of Bengal. As we get into the later chapters her journey becomes too dramatic and too much ambiguity. It highlights her unclear vision. Sometimes she is for the poor and the needy and fights against corporates and sometimes she accuses the common people as supporting another party. But that's how complex she is and difficult to understand. But one thing can be clear that she truly cares for the poor and vulnerable as we progress reading her philosophy seems clear that she will welcome industries but not at the cost of loss of the poor.

To wrap up

I am truly inspired by reading this incredible book. This was like taking a long walk with Didi. I had so many questions about her being so fearless and all are answered well in this book and I appreciate the author Shutapa Paul for doing a brilliant job. It is difficult to understand this ordinary woman with an extraordinary journey. She is impulsive, she is emotional, she is perhaps a symbol, the powerful one of what Indian women can achieve. My impression of Didi is she is the conqueror of her enemies, the embodiment of political leadership. yes, she loses her calm due to the pressure of the office but she is non-corrupt, a woman who rose to heights by overcoming every challenge thrown at her. She is strongwilled, Bengal's beloved Didi. I cherish reading this well-researched book and so much to learn from Didi- The indomitable Mamta Banerjee.