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According to popular lore, Confucius once called on the elder statesman and hermit Lao Tze to ask him how to conduct his life.

“Rid yourself of arrogance and desire, rid yourself of flattery and excessive ambition…That is all I have to say to you,” answered the Master.

Humility and dictatorial dreams of winning and expanding do not go hand in hand. So Confucius went on to weave a philosophy of dominance based on order, disciplined structures of states and obedient bureaucrats. Humility however, remained an important element of the wielding of great power. The creator of vast spheres of dominance must create and sustain humble common folk seeking to be of some significance in their pitiful lives whose biggest dream would be to kiss the authoritarian’s ring, bow and touch the hem of his garment. With such a humble hero-worshipping fan base, the leader can create empires in his own image. 

West Bengal, which has replaced Mamata Banerjee’s long rule with that of the BJP, is already used to authoritarian bibles. For 400 years since the 16th century, it was ruled by Mughals, and then the British. In the middle came the French colonisers who established a conclave with a limited but effective presence. Even after they were forced out by the British they took to returning again and again. They left after the British in 1953, when Chandannagar was vacated and only then integrated in India. British rule lasted for all of 190 years. But it was a truncated West Bengal that became a part of independent India in 1947. The eastern Bengal became an independent Bangladesh.

Marxist rule was initially handled at the top by an anglicised majority of bhadralok initially. Humility was not their strong point, assertive brutal assertion of power over the middle classes was. Mamata Banerjee pried loose........

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