Though thousands of miles apart, Indians in Germany, whether those from West Bengal or elsewhere in India, seem to be keenly tracking the political developments in the poll-bound State. Their feelings betray a degree of apprehension about what the future holds for the State.
In the land that gave birth to Karl Heinrich Marx and Friedrich Engels, the efforts to oust a Communist government that had been in power for 34 years, does not seem to be an issue.
But in Indian restaurants, in gatherings of Indian students, it sure is a topic of discussion. “A change is certainly welcome, but will it be for the better?”
This is the question upper-most in the minds of people whom this correspondent met during a recent visit to Dusseldorf as also through smaller cities such as Mannheim and Heidelberg.
The North Rhine Westphalia district in western Germany is not only the largest Federal State, it also contributes 22 per cent of the country's Gross Domestic Product with many multinationals marking a presence in the capital city of Dusseldorf. Including the Ruhr region in its fold, the district is the business hub of Germany hosting within its boundaries a sizable Indian population.
Meet Ajmel Singh Ghara. He moved from Punjab three decades ago and is now the owner of Indian restaurant Ganesha in Dusseldorf. Asked about West Bengal, which faces crucial Assembly elections this month, he says: “Not only Bengalis, but people from our country who come to this restaurant have started talking of the elections in West Bengal and the situation in the State governed by Communists for so long — they are keen to know whether the situation there is conducive for making investments. This became a topic of discussion ever since the withdrawal of the Tata's project [in Singur].”
The discussion becomes more animated at another Indian eatery in Mannhiem. This southwestern city is located at the confluence of two rivers, the Rhine and the Neckar. Many of the 50-odd Indian families living here have small get-togethers at the iconic city landmark ‘Wasserturm' (water tank) — an old abandoned water tank, which has been beautified with a sprawling garden developed around it.
According to management student from Kolkata Goirik Bhattacharyya, who has come on an exchange programme, while Indians in Germany are not too interested in politics, the happenings in West Bengal engage their attention at times. “Not every Indian in Germany is aware of the political equations in West Bengal or the name of Mamata Banerjee. But many know that a lady is trying to craft a strategy to dislodge the present Communist government in West Bengal.”
In the alleys of Heidelberg, the oldest university town of the country, one can see small gatherings of Indian students debating the future of West Bengal over a cup of German black coffee.
Says Ananya Banerjee (name changed on request), a research student at the Heidelberg University, “The student community here have debates, which often gets heated, on the way forward for West Bengal. There are many of us from the State here and at least some of us would like to return — but we have to be certain of what sort of a future the State holds for us. The last 34 years has been a mixed bag of experiences. Will Mamata Banerjee and her Trinamool Congress be able to deliver on their promises, and put the State on a path of sustainable development?”
