Photo Courtesy vaishnudebi-dutta-JShfWXJrAvc-unsplash As someone who knows Bengali (the language), I often wonder how to describe maal (Bengali: মাল ; Hindi: माल ). The word may have a different connotation in different contexts. With a simple Google translation comes the following suggestions: goods, property, booze, wealth, merchandise, revenue, freight, etc. In my life, I have come across various others: fool/idiot, good looking (mainly the fairer sex), difficult, sperm, cash, object, etc. Catch the drift? No? Because the tangential reference lies in the topic being discussed at the particular time the word was used in a sentence. Or try to catch the drift of the word in tandem with facial expression, or eye movement, or gesture. Even while uttering the word, a slow shake of head may refer to an idiot, a quick glance may mean reference to the person being glanced at, flicking the thumb off forefinger may mean money, mi...

  M uch has been written about BJP’s “saffron surge” in the last Lok Sabha election in West Bengal, which saw the Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee’s Trinamool Congress face certain reverse. Earlier, the results of 2016 Assembly election saw the TMC win 211 seats and the Congress 44. The latter’s “tactical ally” CPI(M) won 26, RSP – 3, AIFB – 2 and CPI – 1 assembly seats. Percentage vote share of major political parties in West Bengal in Lok Sabha and Vidhan Sabha elections Three seats each went to BJP and the Gorkha Janmukti Morcha while an independent candidate won one. West Bengal assembly comprises 294 constituencies. On the other hand, in 2019 Parliamentary polls, without overwhelming support from Muslims, Mamata Banerjee's party could likely have slipped to the number two position. Out of 42 Lok Sabha constituencies in the state, TMC won 22 and the BJP 18. The Congress managed to retain Baharampur and the Maldaha Dakshin seats. Political debate over eight-phase assembly election...