Tanya Bhardwaj, the student branded as ‘CPM cadre’ and ‘Maoist’ by Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee before she stormed off the stage of an interactive session organised by a national television channel, is now feeling petrified and is mulling over the idea of leaving the city.
The third year student of Presidency University, who holds offers from the University College, London, and the School of Oriental and African Studies to study development and administration, said: “I’m yet to decide on that. I have some offers from London. But I really love Kolkata”.
Referring to Mamata’s frequently aired regret about being unable to stop the “brain-drain”, or exit of talented youngsters from Bengal, Tanya said, “I too will probably leave, and now you know the reason why”.
Tanya became a victim of the Chief Minister’s wrath after she asked her some uncomfortable questions related to a Minister’s remark in the Park Street rape case, as well as the conduct of Trinamool leader Arabul Islam towards a college teacher recently.
“You are a CPM activist and I’m not here to answer CPM-backed questions.You are a Maoist. Go back to the jungles,” Mamata snapped at her, before unclipping her microphone and storming off the stage in apoplectic rage.
“What happened was really disappointing but I don’t want to be the centre of attraction or get dragged into any further controversy,” Tanya, who is afraid of reprisal, said.
Initially this brilliant student and a champion debater was really glad when the Chief Minister preferred to sit with students than on the dais, but the admiration was short-lived since it quickly became apparent that any sort of perceived criticism of the current regime would not be tolerated.
Later, the police even asked the CNN-IBN, which aired the interactive session, to furnish the phone numbers of the students involved. “I did not behave rudely with her. But she was in a position where she could walk out and she did exactly that,” she said.
“It would’ve been much better if she (Mamata) had simply avoided the question and not kicked up such a drama. This would’ve made the matter much simpler and she wouldn’t have become the centre of attraction,” she rued.