Shah's lunch diplomacy turns sour as state hands job to tribal family

Darjeeling/Kolkata: The lunch diplomacy that Amit Shah, the then national president of the BJP had embarked on three years ago at the Mahali family in Naxalbari has acquired a sour taste. At a time when Shah is on a tour of Bengal, the State Government handed over a job to Geeta Mahali, the lady who had prepared the lunch.

While Amit Shah was dining in the house of another tribal family in Birbhum on Thursday, Ranjan Sarkar, member of the Siliguri Jalpaiguri Development Authority (SJDA) handed over the appointment letter to Geeta who will be working as a Home Guard personnel to be posted at the Naxalbari police station.

Incidentally on April 25, 2017, Shah along with the BJP front rung leaders of Bengal had flagged off the organizational "Booth Chalo" programme by having lunch in the house of a scheduled tribe couple in a remote village in Naxalbari in the Darjeeling district.

Flanked by Dilip Ghosh, Bengal BJP President, Shah had sat cross legged on the floor enjoying a meal of rice, roti, daal and sabzi. Talking to media persons after lunch, Shah had declared "It is from here that the Naxals spread the politics of violence and hatred throughout the country. From the same place we will launch our Saab Ka Saath, Saab Ka Vikash."

They had assured help to this tribal family from the backward economic strata. However the promised "Vikash" failed to see the light of day. A week later, after they were caught in a tug of war between TMC and BJP the couple joined TMC on 3 May 2017. While the BJP has accused TMC of abducting and forcibly inducting Raju and Gita Mahali in the party, TMC leaders claimed that they willingly joined the party.

The family has received benefits under different State Government schemes. A pukka house now replaces the kuccha shack.

Gita Mahali said " The Trinamul Congress government has provided us with a house, cooking gas connection, and even a job which will make our financial condition stable. I am very happy with the job."

Geeta assists her husband economically by working in tea gardens. She works as a plucker and earns Rs 150 per day. However during lean periods in tea gardens, the conditions of the economical condition of the family is bad.

Raju is a daily wage labourer. The couple has a 13 year old son Amit who studies in class VIII at Nanda Prasad High School and their 8 year old daughter, Asha who studies in Class III at a Shishu Siksha Kendra.

According to Gita , many political parties assured many things , but they have seen that Trinamool Congress kept its promise and so they are satisfied with the way they receive help from TMC. "Except for politics BJP has not done anything for anyone. However the State Government is with everyone, specially people from the backward strata. That is why the job of a special Home Guard was handed over to Geeta devi" stated Ranjan Sarkar.