Damn red is everywhere.

Bengal Chief Minister, Ms Mamata Banerjee passionately hates anything to do with the Communist Party of India ( Marxist ), CPM including the color red. In an interview with Simon Denyer of the Washington Post she has claimed that the CPM, along with the Marxists ( Naxals ) and the ISI of Pakistan, was plotting to kill her, financed by North Korea, Venezuela and Hungary. " They have given me the death sentence, and everyday they are spreading this message via a superimposed photo on Facebook, on the internet or email under some false, camouflaged name," she told Denyer. To erase any reminder of the CPM she has spent the first year of government in getting all official buildings painted blue. Unfortunately, her office is in Writers Building, so named because the underwriters of the British East India Company used to sit there. Writers Building is made of red blocks. Unable to paint such a historic building blue she has got blue lights installed all round the building so that it will look blue at least at night. Recently Hilary Clinton got a warm welcome in Kolkata possibly because Democrats are blue in the US while Republicans are red. Watch out Romney. It is commendable that she has chosen to remain single to prevent the possibility of any man presenting her with red roses. If I were the CPM I would present her with a red rose everyday and watch her paint it blue. Trouble is, red is not so easy to be rid of. For thousands of years Hindu women have used Sindur or vermilion on their foreheads as a mark of their married status and it is doubtful that they will agree to use blue even if threatened by Trinamul goons. The Goddess Durga always wears a red sari and her worship is never complete without 108 blood red hibiscus flowers. Bengali women wear a white sari with bright red borders when they visit a temple or engage in worship of the Goddess. Every day begins with a red sunrise and ends with a red sunset. Possibly, Ms Banerjee could avoid both events by wearing blue shades. However, what is she going to do about her own blood which is sure to be, well, blood red. She may be a brahmin but there is no evidence that she is blue blooded. Are we to understand that for all her bluster she is really a CPM sympathiser inside? Perhaps it would prudent at this point to get it on record that yours truly is not a commie and has never visited Pakistan, Venezuela or Hungary although a friend is married to a Hungarian lady doctor. Is that incriminating enough to be painted blue?