We know the old story; A forest used to be ruled by a lion one day another tiger also came to that forest. Soon a turf war broke out forcing the weaker one to leave the place. Trouble erupts when both continue to remain there and turf war continues at regular intervals. This is what is happening in Bengal. After ousting the congress, Left front ruled the state for decades with the support of its cadres.

A young girl called Mamta dared to oppose its rule from congress platform. From ignorance to contempt to fight to fear left tried every tactic in the rule book to deal with her. She was on her way out when left gave her a shot in the arm by scoring a self goal. The wise Prakash Karat in his wisdom broke away from UPA on ideological issues giving a chance to Mamta to hitch her wagon to congress and annihilate left.

Of course left did have a change of heart. Having driven away the industry by its bandh/gherao militant practices, it tried to woo them earnestly by bringing TATA and other its majors to Bengal along with some foreign companies. But even an old tiger never turns vegetarian. So it tried to force the local population to give up its land without bothering about taking them into confidence giving an opportunity to Mamta to appear as their messiah.

Caring little for the rule of the law and with active support of Naxalites/Maoists TATAs had to leave the state. By then anti incumbency factor had set in. So in straight contest Left got a drubbing. Mamta from being a lone crusader became 19 strong in a house of 550 bagging plum posts for herself and her colleagues. Now there was a level playing field so the battle shifted to the fringes with both sides unleashing violence in their respective pockets of influence.

Nandi Gram, Singur, Lal Garh Etc. are all bearing the scars of their fierce battle. Even the desperate appeal for help by aging Jyoti Basu the doyen of yester years failed to strike a chord. In the end, it is the poor public which is suffering like the proverbial grass which gets trampled when two bulls fight. So can I say it matters little to the sheep whether the predator is a wolf, fox or jackal it does get eaten.