By Arun Srivastava
Exactly a year ago of the 2026 Bengal assembly elections, in 2025, a section of the national media had written off Mamata Banerjee and had even predicted that she would be addressing the last Martyrs’ Day rally on July 21, that year, before the polls. They proved to be prophetic, though it is yet not clear what was the basis for their prediction, one thing they however could not comprehend at that stage was Mamata would observe the day with more vengeance, after her defeat.
On July 5 while addressing the people of the state, she nevertheless underlined that this year’s commemoration of martyr’s day would herald a war against santrash (terror). July 21 is a deeply emotional date for Mamata because it marks the tragic 1993 Kolkata firing, where 13 Youth Congress workers were killed in police firing during a rally she led to the Writers’ Building. She herself was injured during the incident. This blood-soaked event serves as the foundation of her political identity. Apparently this date has two important relevance; first it symbolises her political identity and also provides the right ambience to identify with her cadres and supporters.
Mamata used to observe this date annually at Dharmatala, near the Writers’ Buildings and Mayo Road. The march was led by Mamata Banerjee (then State Youth Congress president) to demand that voter ID cards be made mandatory to prevent election rigging. During the subsequent years, Justice Sushanta Chatterjee Commission of inquiry, the police firing was described as “unprovoked and unconstitutional”. The widespread public sympathy generated by the 1993 event propelled her profile, eventually allowing her to break away from the Congress party and form the TMC in 1998.
This year realising the intensity and implication of the rally, the BJP government has denied permission to Mamata’s TMC to hold the event. But undaunted by the refusal, she is going ahead and asked her supporters for the right opportunity and time when they would be informed of the commemoration schedule.
By framing the occasion as “war against terror” Mamata tries to set the narrative to delegitimize central forces, identify the BJP government as autocratic, and cast her party as the defender of Bengal’s autonomy. By doing so, she taps into regional sentiment, positioning any political challenge from the Centre as a threat to the state’s democratic fabric. By claiming Bengal is facing unconstitutional suppression, she flips the narrative to deflect criticism of her own administration. Nevertheless her basic mission has been to defend Bengali Identity and project herself as a crusader for Bengali cause and individuality. She frequently conflates actions by central agencies and border policies with a “linguistic terrorism” against Bengalis, rallying local voters to her cause.
Framing the political struggle as a battle against systemic terror allows her to position TMC grassroots workers as martyrs resisting an oppressive Centre. This rhetoric serves as a critical political tool during times of intense internal revolt and clashes with central authorities. It would have a much deeper psychological impact on her detractors who have deserted her after the elections, of their future political survival. By continually warning supporters about alleged conspiracies and democratic rollbacks, she aims to consolidate her voter base ahead of upcoming state and national elections in 2029.
The “war” rhetoric is a political strategy to push back against the BJP-led central government, frequently calling out the misuse of central agencies and the targeting of state rights. It is a known fact that the top BJP leadership cannot confront her straight on the political turf. She has historically viewed an aggressive, defiant posture as a necessary political tool against the central leadership. She has long maintained that without fierce pushback, central agencies (such as the CBI and ED) would be deployed to harass her party and supporters and finish her party. Already soon after the assembly results, Amit Shah has been targeting her party and using all kind of machination to shred it to threads. To avoid the possibility of existential crisis, it is imperative that Mamata stand up and strike. Obviously she has chosen the weapon for confrontation.
The first signal for opting to confront was her refusing to step down, alleging voter manipulation. She knew that nothing but only her street fighter image will salvage the situation and help her survive. BJP leadership retaliated by engineering severe desertions and internal rebellion from former lieutenants. The political power struggle transitioned into a literal, physical battle over party headquarters and the control of the Trinamool Congress (TMC) itself. To galvanise her war she took out at least two big public rallies on the streets of Calcutta, sending the message that she was still a force to reckon with. Coming within a fortnight of her electoral rout the public response and turn out at the rallies was quite impressive. Mamata intends to use July 21 remembrance as emotional milestone to outline her political roadmap and motivate her cadre.
This year’s July 21 commemoration gains more importance as it would set the tone for the upcoming elections, discuss the political roadmap and chalk out strategy to resist saffron onslaught. Identity politics is undoubtedly take centre stage as TMC has targeted the BJP for alleged attack of Bengali-speaking migrants in BJP-ruled States. The event would provide the opportunity for Mamata to test loyalty and peoples’ support at the grassroots. Amidst the internal party schisms and crises, Mamata has asserted her devotion to the date by declaring she would hold the rally “even if standing on a rickshaw” or if only a handful of loyalists showed up.
May be like past years lakhs of TMC workers would not assemble in the city to listen to Banerjee and participate in the mega political show. But in the current scenario, holding the rally itself is of quite important.. A distraught Mamata on Saturday declared herself “not dead” and warned the BJP that they can dream to have control of Bengal only if they kill her. This is indeed a very petrifying message. She dropped the hint, that in the manner the BJP cadres and goons were targeting the TMC, thrashing its leaders, coercing them to desert the TMC and join BJP, the they may also attack and kill her.
During a virtual speech on Facebook, her first public appearance since June 17, she sought to know from BJP leaders; “Do you think I am dead? Do you think our workers are dead? Do you think the TMC is dead? I will live long, and the next generations will live on too. Just as some people can betray the party, others will protect and uphold its flag. Even if the symbol is taken away, what does it matter? A symbol is meaningful only when it is accepted by ordinary people and by the workers of the Trinamool Congress. I fought an election with this symbol just one month and 22 days after getting it. At that time, I could not make it familiar to all. If I wear that symbol around my neck and go to the people today, can you stop me? Yes, you can — but only by killing me.”
By rallying the faithful, she aims to prove her leadership remains intact and institutional support is unwavering despite challenges from rival factions. This year’s mobilization will be a display of cadre strength. It reassures grassroots workers who stayed loyal despite organizational crises, that her leadership still commands mass public backing. Significantly Mamata has adopted the slogan “Amra Beiman Noi” (We are not traitors) to reassure grassroots workers in the wake of throwing eggs on the leaders and chanting of “chor” “chor” by the BJP goons and cadres. Since the Kolkata Police at the direction of the state government has refused permission to hold the rally at Dharmatala (Chowringhee), the rally would possibly be held at Shahid Minar. (IPA Service)
