Amid turmoil in the Trinamool Congress (TMC) following its defeat in the West Bengal Assembly elections, Mamata Banerjee has penned a satirical poem, titled ‘Girgit’ (chameleon), targeting turncoats in her party.

“Koto nebe choritro bodlate/ chorontole koto utkoch dhon/ ar koto chao? Nijeder bhol bodlate?… (How much will you take to change your character? How much bribe money is at your feet? How much more do you want to change your faces?),” she writes, comparing disloyal politicians to colour-changing chameleons.

Calling the turncoats “more dangerous than a chameleon” for “betraying the party’s foundational values and its workers in times of crisis for their own survival”, the former chief minister writes,

“They are not selling themselves;

They are selling people’s and workers’ self-respect”.

She concludes by writing,

“Opportunists always have a place at the bottom.

One day, this greed will make them think.

That day, these traitors will understand how insignificant inhumanity truly is.”

Her penning ‘Girgit’ poem coincides with a surge of resignations and open criticism from senior leaders.

Week after TMC’s loss, she had penned a poem titled “Brave”, which seemed to be meant for party workers frustrated and disillusioned by the party’s electoral defeat. “Be brave and strong… Always face brutes with a smile,” she wrote.

The poem also repeatedly touched on loneliness and resilience. “When you were born,

You came alone

And when you will die

You have to be alone,” she wrote, urging them to have faith.

Poetry has long been one of Mamata Banerjee’s preferred ways of responding to political turbulence. Over the years, she has written 162 books, 27 poems, and songs while also showcasing her paintings publicly. Her writings have covered subjects ranging from her struggles as an Opposition leader to movements like Singur and Nandigram, which eventually helped bring down the Left Front government. During the Singur and Nandigram movement, and even the recent Special Intensive Revision (SIR) in West Bengal, she repeatedly posted her poetry on social networks.