Amidst the raging controversy over the SSC (School Service Commission) scam, Bengali actor Rudranil Ghosh took potshots at the ruling Trinamool Congress government in West Bengal over its ‘close ties’ with accused Arpita Mukherjee.
The Enforcement Directorate (ED) has recently recovered over ₹21.20 crores in cash, gold and foreign currencies worth 50 lakhs each and 22 mobile phones from the residence of the actress.
Rudranil Ghosh, who is known for his eloquence and satire, wrote a hard-hitting poem on the plight of the State under the administration of Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee.
Excerpt from the poem of Rudranil Ghosh:
21 July moncho thake bechlo didi muri, 22 e July Arpita der flat e kuti 20 (Mamata Banerjee politicised the Bengali staple food of ‘muri/puffed rice’ on July 21, only to be overshadowed on July 22 by the recovery of ₹20 crores from Arpita’s flat).
“Muri bechar taka naki chakri churir taka, boli o Didibhai jobab toh din malik toh apni sudhu eka (Turns out the money kept aside for buying puffed rice is in fact the money collected through recruitment scam. Respond to questions, Mamata di! You are the master of the roster).“
Kudi koti noter pahad dekhlo Banga bashi, Arpita der unnayan e amar didi khushi (The residents of Bengal were taken aback by the huge stack of money. Nonetheless, our Didi is pleased with the progress of Arpita Mukherjee).
Trinamool er Durga Pujoi Arpita ra mukh, neta r kacher manush hole pabe opar sukh (Arpita was the face of the Durga Puja event of TMC. It’s clear that if you are close to the politicians, then, your happiness will have no bounds).
Sukher ghore osukh holo, dhuklo ghore ED, jerar mukh e montri janai, paap er ABCD (The abode of happiness was darkened by the pall of gloom when the ED barged in. The Minister (Partha Chatterjee) revealed the A,B,C,D of the scam in the face of interrogation.)
Kudi kotir golpo diya ai dhora pora shuru, ek soo kuti chariya gelao ghabriyo na Guru (The arrests began over recovery of ₹20 crores but there is nothing for them to worry about even if it breaches ₹100 crores).
Ai Arpita ra onek aache Mantri aache joto, lojja, ghinna seekh e tole lootche obiroto (There are as many ‘Arpitas’ as there are Ministers. They have left their shame and disgust on a high pedestal and continued with their loot).
Rasta jore bekar boshe karon tara joggo, Maa Mati aar manush Doler kacha sobhai bhoggo (People are unemployed because they deserve to have jobs. For a party with slogan of ‘Maa, Mati and Manush’, everyone is deserving of exploitation).
Taka dilai chakri hobe, taka dilai kaaj, taka kheya dol ta bache, sobai ferak baaj (Only if you pay up, you can have your job or get your work done. The party survives on cut money and is a den of thieves).
Howrah bridge er nut-boltu khule deba becha, aar koto ta din rakhle aider rajyo deba checha (One day, they will sell even the nuts and bolts of Howrah bridge. If they stay any longer, they will scrub the State of its remaining resources).
Fesa gela ader didi r sei purono buli, korun mukhe mitha kothai poran chukhe dhuli (Whenever Mamata Didi is in trouble, she sways the public with her gleaming eyes, sweet voice and brazen lies).
Manush matro bhul toh kore, din kore din khoma, sob seat e te prathri ami, suncho kaka mama (She then appeals to her uncles to forgive her, as it is human to err).
Didi Onek holo mitha bachan, public noi goru, nil sada rong jaba dhule, countdown shuru (Enough of your lies! People are not herds of cows…The countdown has begun)
Sob chor era parbe dhora, ei kudi diya Partho, duar e maat palte ebar, duar juda gorto (All thieves will be caught. It has started with Partho’s ₹20 crores. There is now a pothole besides your doorsteps).
The political journey of Rudranil Ghosh
Anubrata Mandal, who was once a star campaigner for TMC, spoke out against the party in public in 2019 over the collection of ‘cut money’ by its functionaries. He had declined to speak against dubious allegations of BJP’s black money, as touted by the high command of the TMC, in July of that year.
“She (Mamata Banerjee) brought to the fore the word ‘cut-money’ following which people (read TMC functionaries and public representatives) are returning some amount. It is creating a perception that the party runs on cut money. I also didn’t like countering the cut-money issue with black money,” Mandal had remarked.
Rudranil Ghosh was once a student leader and was affiliated with the Left parties before defecting to the TMC. He joined the BJP in January 2021 and contested the Vidhan Sabha polls from the Bhabanipur constituency but with no success.
Despite this, Rudranil Ghosh is making a mark for himself in Bengal for being outspoken against the incumbent government in West Bengal. His videos are gaining traction and are being widely shared on Facebook and Whatsapp.
At a time, when Mamata Banerjee wants journalists and the film industry to crawl, the actor with a spine is standing up to the regime, one poem at a time.
