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TMC, BJP race to help Bengal tribal family that hosted Amit Shah for lunch
Leaders from the Trinamool Congress (TMC) and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) as well as officers from the district administration have called on Bibhishan Hansda and offered to get the best treatment for his teenage daughter Rachana who is diabetic.
The poor tribal family that hosted Union home minister Amit Shah for lunch on November 5 at their home at Chaturdihi village in Bengal’s Bankura district has been receiving more guests and unexpected offers of help since Saturday.
Leaders from the Trinamool Congress (TMC) and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) as well as officers from the district administration have called on Bibhishan Hansda at least thrice in 48 hours with the offer to get the best treatment for his teenage daughter Rachana who is suffering from diabetes.
The reason: Hansda had briefly talked to Shah about her.
TMC leaders have also started claiming that Hansda, a marginal farmer, had always been a party supporter but the tribal man has claimed to be an apolitical person with no connection with either of the parties.
“Had amazing Bengali food at Shri Vivishan Hansda ji’s home in Chaturdihi village. No words can express their warmth and hospitality,” Shah had tweeted on Thursday after leaving the village.
TMC leaders made a counter move soon after this.
“Reality behind @AmitShah Ji’s token meals - he used ST Community & the concerned family as political tool & didn’t even bother to speak to them for a moment. Mr Home Minister, did you come here only for a photo-op? #BengalAsksAmitShah,” tweeted Abhishek Banerjee, TMC Lok Sabha MP and nephew of chief minister Mamata Banerjee.
The TMC youth leader also attached the screenshot of a news item published by a Bengali daily which said that Hansda wanted to talk to Shah but did not get an opportunity although they sat beside each other during the lunch.
Hansda said he did talk to Shah about his daughter but the minister could not understand Bengali. “He spoke in Hindi. Since neither of us could follow each other’s language people present at the spot explained to the Union home minister what I was saying,” he said.
On Saturday, Sonai Mukherjee, a TMC leader and member of the Bankura zilla parishad (district council) visited Hansda’s home with gifts. “It was a casual visit. We wanted to know how the family was doing. The gifts were part of the customary Durga Puja greetings,” she said.
On Sunday morning, BJP’s Bankura Lok Sabha MP Subhas Sarkar, who is also a doctor, called on Hansda and had a long conversation with his daughter. The MP checked her medical records and told the family that his party will ensure the best treatment for Rachana.
Sarkar wrote in a tweet in Bengla that he went to Hansda’s home under instructions from Shah who wants the party to take charge of Rachana’s treatment and take her to AIIMS if required. The MP also posted photographs of his visit.
Shortly after Sarkar left, the local community block development officer, Biplab Kumar Roy, visited the family with the same offer. “The class 12 student has been under treatment for a long time. The government wants to ensure that it continues unhindered since the family is poor,” Roy told the local media.
During the day, lawmaker and minister from the district, Swapan Santra, claimed that Hansda had always been a supporter of the TMC and the party had arranged for the treatment in the past.
“I am not part of any organization. If anyone takes pity and offers to help I will accept it but it should not be part of politics,” said Hansda.
Significantly, when Shah was having lunch at Hansda’s home on Thursday the TMC government made a surprise move at Naxalbari in Darjeeling district. Gita Mahali, the poor tribal woman who played host to Shah and cooked lunch for him during a similar visit in April 2017, was appointed as special home guard at Naxalbari police station. She was given her appointment letter. “The BJP did nothing for the family in these three years so the government came forward,” said Ranjan Sarkar, the TMC district president.
On Wednesday, Banerjee also announced that the government will form separate organizations to look after the welfare of different backward caste communities.
BJP state general secretary Sayantan Basu said, “If one visit by our Union home minister can make so much difference to the lives of poor people we will all visit their homes. After all, welfare of the people is what the BJP wants.”
