Chief minister Mamata Banerjee on Monday stressed her stand against bidding adieu to people with expertise and experience simply on account of their age, a day after her nephew and Trinamul national general secretary Abhishek Banerjee aired his views in favour of an age ceiling, adding further fuel to fire in Trinamul's ongoing old-versus-new debate.
“(H.K.) Dwivedi is here. He is our ex-chief secretary but now he is my chief adviser, finance. Alapan (Bandyopadhyay), another former chief secretary, currently the chief adviser to the chief minister’s office, is also present here. We do not say goodbye to those who are efficient simply because they reach the age of 60. We utilise their expertise and experience in implementing government projects,” said Mamata, accompanied by the two former chief secretaries, besides current chief secretary B.P. Gopalika, while inaugurating development schemes for Sagar Island and its district, South 24-Parganas.
Although the event was not political, several seniors in Trinamul said Mamata's remarks were to be interpreted politically in the wake of Abhishek’s statements at a party meeting in Pailan on Sunday.
“I strongly believe that she deliberately took the example of the current chief secretary and his two predecessors at Gangasagar to show people how two officially retired persons have been playing key roles in her government. She indirectly reaffirmed her stand in favour of the efficient in the old guard, who she believes should be in active politics irrespective of age,” said a senior Trinamul leader in Calcutta, deemed a member of the so-called old guard.
“If someone is fit in active politics even after attaining the age of 60, 70, or even 80, he should continue playing key roles. She (Mamata) is 69 now, and no one in the party or outside can question her efficiency and capability, mental and physical. She is still better at most things, even physically, than people in their late 40s,” the Trinamul veteran added.
Multiple senior officials in the state government also said that normally there should have been no reason for the two former chief secretaries, currently advisers to the chief minister, to go to Gangasagar, 120km from Calcutta.
“There should have been no reason to take the two former chief secretaries to Gangasagar, especially for administrative work. If the duo went, it is because the chief minister asked them to,” said a senior official.
Mamata said the presence of "three chief secretaries" (including two former occupants of the post) was a rare sight.
“It is a very big work that the government did,” she added, indicating the contributions of the three working together in the Bengal government now.
A source in the state government said Mamata was correct in deploying two former chief secretaries as advisers as their contribution was vital.
“Our recently retired chief secretary H.K. Dwivedi, especially, has vast experience and skills in handling finance-related issues. We should not forget he played a key role in running the government when the Centre blocked funds (under several heads) to Bengal,” said the source.
On Sunday, speaking at Pailan, Abhishek, the champion of the new in the raging debate, ruled out a rift with the old, pledging to carry out diligently any responsibility assigned to him to ensure a triumph in the Lok Sabha election.
But the 36-year-old Diamond Harbour MP also refused to budge from his stand in favour of an age ceiling.
Abhishek said: “Yes, it is true that I have said that physical abilities diminish with the advancement of age.”
“This is gospel truth, what is there to deny this?” he asked. “This does not create scope for internal conflict, disagreements, civil war… none of it."
Mamata, who is staying at Gangasagar overnight on Monday, is scheduled to go to Joynagar on Tuesday afternoon for a benefit distribution programme.