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21 August 2024 at 10:20:16 am

Grim Reckoning

The heckling of Trinamool Congress MP Abhishek Banerjee during the latter’s visit to Sonarpur is a stark reminder that fear has an expiry date. For years, West Bengal’s politics has been defined by intimidation. First the Communist, and later during Mamata Banerjee’s TMC regimes, the state’s political discourse has been overwhelmingly accompanied by violence, cadre dominance, partisan policing and a culture in which dissenters were expected to keep their heads down and their opinions to...

Grim Reckoning

The heckling of Trinamool Congress MP Abhishek Banerjee during the latter’s visit to Sonarpur is a stark reminder that fear has an expiry date. For years, West Bengal’s politics has been defined by intimidation. First the Communist, and later during Mamata Banerjee’s TMC regimes, the state’s political discourse has been overwhelmingly accompanied by violence, cadre dominance, partisan policing and a culture in which dissenters were expected to keep their heads down and their opinions to themselves. Whether in villages, municipalities or university campuses, countless Bengalis, especially the Hindu community, have complained that political power was exercised not only through the ballot box but through fear during the TMC rule. Against this backdrop, the scenes that unfolded during Abhishek Banerjee’s Sonarpur visit was a symbolic moment. The TMC political class that once inspired fear suddenly found itself confronting fearlessness and the ire of ordinary citizens. Trinamool leaders accustomed to hectoring and threatening the public were forced to face its ire as Abhishek was heckled and pelted with eggs. The Trinamool Congress would be mistaken if it dismisses the episode as an isolated incident. Across West Bengal after the polls, there is a palpable anger against TMC leaders and their henchmen. That simmering rage appears increasingly difficult to contain. For years, Abhishek Banerjee had projected himself as the heir apparent to Bengal’s ruling establishment, speaking haughtily with the confidence of a man convinced that power was permanently on his side. Now that the TMC is out of power, Sonarpur offered a starkly different picture. It showed what happens when politicians who are accustomed to commanding the public are suddenly confronted by it. From the horrors of Sandeshkhali to the public fury unleashed after the R.G. Kar outrage, West Bengal witnessed episode after episode that laid bare the TMC’s intimidation and moral corruption. The crowd that confronted Abhishek Banerjee at Sonarpur was venting years of accumulated resentment against a political culture many Bengalis had come to associate with arrogance, patronage and strong-arm tactics. They reflected what a significant section of the public has increasingly come to see as the moral bankruptcy of a political order that believed it could rule indefinitely through fear and organisational muscle. Abhishek Banerjee, more than any other TMC leader, had became the face of that system. The hostility he encountered in Sonarpur was political payback delivered by a public no longer willing to whisper its anger. While no civilised society should endorse mob violence, no politician can expect public sympathy after years of bullying and intimidating citizens. He or she must realize that political arrogance has consequences and that public anger, when it finally erupts, grinds even the most powerful dynasties to dust. Abhishek Banerjee’s reception in Sonarpur may therefore prove to be more than an embarrassing political episode. It may become the defining image of Trinamool’s final decline and fall.

Vighnas in Your Financial Plan

Every year, when Ganpati Bappa arrives in our homes, we welcome him as the Vighnaharta - the remover of obstacles. We pray for wisdom, prosperity, and strength to overcome difficulties. This spiritual message can also guide us in our financial lives.


A strong financial plan is not only about earning and investing. It is equally about identifying and removing the obstacles that silently derail progress.


Debt - The Heaviest Obstacle

The most common financial vighna is debt. Credit card dues and high interest loans quietly eat into income. Every EMI reduces the money available for investments. Like carrying excess baggage on a journey, debt slows down wealth creation. Bappa reminds us that discipline and prioritisation are key - start by repaying high interest loans first, and gradually free yourself from the burden. The lighter you travel, the faster you progress. This point does not apply to home loans.


Lack of Insurance - A Silent Risk

Life is unpredictable. A sudden medical emergency or an untimely death can wipe out years of careful savings. Yet many people ignore insurance, considering it an unnecessary cost. In reality, insurance is a safety net - Ganpati’s protective hand over your family. Adequate term insurance secures your dependents’ future, while health insurance prevents medical bills from derailing financial stability. Protection is not optional. It is the foundation of prosperity.


Absence of an Emergency Fund

Without an emergency fund, even small shocks - a job loss, home repair, or sudden medical bill - can push families into debt. Building a reserve of 6 to 12 months of essential expenses ensures stability when storms arrive.


No Clarity of Goals

Ganesh Utsav is celebrated with devotion, discipline, and purpose. Similarly, money without goals is directionless. A financial plan must be tied to specific outcomes: buying a home, a car, vacations, educating children, their marriage, your retirement, or wealth creation. Written goals bring clarity, discipline, and motivation. Without them, investors drift, and small distractions become large vighnas.


Chasing Quick Returns

Ganpati is offered Modaks, which symbolise the sweet rewards of devotion and patience. In finance too, Modaks come to those who wait. Chasing stock tips or get-rich-quick schemes often backfires, causing losses and regret. Systematic Investment Plans (SIPs) and lumpsum investments, long term compounding, and diversified portfolios may appear slow, but they deliver enduring sweetness. Patience is the true vighnaharta of wealth creation. Invest regularly for the long term in stocks, mutual funds, and gold. Importantly, stay invested.


To Conclude

This festive season, as we pray to Lord Ganesha to remove difficulties from our lives, let us also act on our vighnas in our financial plan. A protected, disciplined, and patient financial plan ensures that the blessings of prosperity last well beyond the celebrations - turning every day into a festival of security and growth.


(The author is a Chartered Accountant and CFA (USA). Financial Advisor. Views personal. He could be reached on 9833133605.)

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