West Bengal elections: Derek O’Brien who has Irish ancestors tries to create Bengalis vs outsider wedge

On March 21, Trinamool Congress chief Derek O’Brien attacked Home Minister Amit Shah by calling him an ‘outsider’. In a tweet, he stated, “A resident of Gujarat with a resident of Madhya Pradesh by his (right) side, releases a manifesto and then makes a full speech in Hindi to create a #ShonarBangla.”
A resident of Gujarat with a resident of Madhya Pradesh by his (proper) facet, releases a manifesto after which makes a full speech in Hindi to create a #ShonarBangla #BengalElections2021— Derek O’Brien | ডেরেক ও’ব্রায়েন (@derekobrienmp) March 21, 2021
The TMC leaders typically mock the BJP leaders by calling them ‘tourist gang’. Though O’Brien is in full assault mode by calling BJP leaders non-Bengalis, he appears to have forgotten the place his ancestors got here from.
The Irish ancestors of Derek O’Brien
On a number of events, TMC chief Derek O’Brien has talked about his Irish ancestors. In August 2012, he printed a weblog put up titled “The O’Briens of India and Pakistan” the place he talked about his father’s paternal grandmother Nellie Bella O’Brien. According to his put up, Nellie Bella, who was a Hindu, married a second-generation Irish settler O’Brien. Her first-born Patrick stayed in Pakistan after partition in 1947. Interestingly, Patrick had a big household in Pakistan. His brother was a fighter pilot in Pakistan Air Force. His essay was additionally printed in Indian Express in 2013.
In 2018, on fiftieth demise anniversary of Nellie Bella, he wrote, “Fondly remembering my paternal great grandmother Nellie Bella on her 50th death anniversary. A Bengali who married an Irish settler (O’Brien), she built our family home in #Kolkata . Widowed early, she became a doctor. To my innocent eyes she seemed to stand for Mother India.”
Fondly remembering my paternal nice grandmother Nellie Bella on her fiftieth demise anniversary. A Bengali who married an Irish settler (O’Brien), she constructed our household house in #Kolkata . Widowed early, she turned a health care provider. To my harmless eyes she appeared to face for Mother India— Derek O’Brien | ডেরেক ও’ব্রায়েন (@derekobrienmp) November 12, 2018
During the dialogue of the Citizen Amendment Bill (now Act) in Rajya Sabha in 2019, O’Brien narrated the identical story. At round 10 minutes, he stated, “Sometimes the best stories are the personal stories. This is my personal story. My great grandfather was an Irish Christian. He was married to a Bengali Hindu. My grandfather and his youngest brother stayed back in India. His eldest brother was in Pakistan. So we have O’Briens of India and O’Briens of Pakistan.” He additional added that the O’Briens in Pakistan both moved to England or Canada or married to Muslim girls and transformed to Islam. Notably, O’Brien additionally attacked HM Shah for talking Hindi and never Bengali. However, O’Brien himself was not fluent in Bengali throughout his speech in Rajya Sabha.

Former NDTV worker Nidhi Razdhan in her guide ‘Left Right and Centre’ included an essay by O’Brien. In the essay, he talked about his father’s paternal grandmother Nellie Bella Biswas—or Nellie Bella O’Brien as she turned on marrying the descendant of an Irish settler in India—symbolized historical past.
In 2012, whereas replying to a tweet, O’Brien stated, “My great grand father was Irish.”
@NaMaAstee My nice grand father was Irish— Derek O’Brien | ডেরেক ও’ব্রায়েন (@derekobrienmp) March 11, 2012
The Bengali vs outsider concern raised by TMC leaders together with individuals like O’Brien and Mamata Banerjee solely reveals how deeprooted the hate for individuals of different components of India is. Especially Gujarat. A Gujarati has as a lot proper to be in Bengal as O’Brien together with his Irish ancestry has.