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By Haripada Das
AGARTALA, 15th
June: THE
life and legacy of Comrade Jyoti Basu would always be the guiding light for the
party so as to come out of the hard days that the party is facing today, and to
carry forward the cause of the toiling masses that the party has been striving
for. This was the essence of the points made by speakers at an overflowing hall
meeting on the occasion of observance of Jyoti Basu’s birth centenary year at
Rabindra Shatabsrshiki Bhavan, Agartala on June 15.
Biman Bose and Manik Sarkar,
both Polit Bureau members of the CPI(M), addressed the hall meeting that was
presided over by the party’s state secretary Bijan Dhar. At the outset, floral
tribute and homage was paid at the image of the departed leader by the Polit Bureau
members, Central Committee members, state secretariat members and state
committee members present in the auditorium. Then followed the inaugural songs
performed by two cultural units, namely Gandiv and Krishti Kala Kendra.
Biman Bose, the CPI(M)’s
West Bengal state secretary and Polit Bureau member, presented a brief life
sketch of Comrade Jyoti Basu. Biman Bose narrated the atmosphere in Jyoti
Basu’s family which was very much friendly with the freedom fighters. This
deeply motivated young Jyoti to take to a jihad against British imperialism. A
young boy, whom his parents sent to London to build up a bright carrier, thus
got involved in India’s freedom struggle and came in touch with communist
leaders like R P Dutta in London. Basu ultimately came back to India to become
a party wholetimer and dedicated his whole life to the cause of the workers,
peasants and other toiling masses of the country. While a party wholetimer, he
adopted the Bengali language which he was never taught in academic institutions,
Biman Bose informed.
Bose also referred to Jyoti
Basu’s role in the Tebhaga movement, in raising up women’s defence squads, his
work among the railway workers, his guidance in the 1946 naval workers strike
and all-India employees’ strike, his role in combating communal riots in 1946,
his style of functioning underground when the party was banned in 1948, his
leadership in the movement against the Bang-Bihar merger plan, his contribution
in the relief work during the 1946 famine, his work as the party’s state
secretary since 1953, his exemplary work as a legislator in West Bengal
assembly which attracted people’s attention to the party’s work, and his
leadership in the United Front governments in 1967 and 1969.
Today it is not the first
time, Biman Bose said, that semi-fascist terror has been let loose against the
party in West Bengal. It was unleashed in 1972 and was combated and finally
defeated by the party. Jyoti Basu’s work in those days would remain the guiding
force in our endeavours to resist the ongoing all-out attack perpetrated by the
ruling Trinamool Congress on the communists in West Bengal today.
Referring to Comrade Jyoti
Basu’s performance as a chief minister with the so far longest tenure, Biman
Bose said Basu played a vanguard role in pressing for restructuring of the
centre-state relations and organised several conclaves with the opposition chief
ministers. This resulted in the setting up of Sarkaria commission which
recommended several positive measures to protect the rights of the states
against the centre’s whimsical attitude born out of political antagonism. Land
reforms ensuring distribution of excess land to the poor farmers and
establishment of barga rights in West Bengal were unequivocally appreciated by
one and all, and became a model for the country. Basu won nationwide respect
for his valiant stand during the anti-Sikh riot in Delhi in 1984 and Babri
demolition in 1992. His flexible attitude but ideological firmness in leading a
coalition government for 23 long years is a great lesson for all of us, Biman
Bose said.
Explaining the new situation
in the country, Manik Sarkar said a pro-Hindutva party has now come to power in
Delhi with the so far biggest share of seats in its life with a minority share
of votes. In fact the BJP subtly and craftily exploited the fallouts of the
Congress led UPA government’s misrule, which unleashed all-out attacks on the
lives and livelihood of the common people of our country over the last ten
years, coupled with huge scams involving trillions of rupees of the government
exchequer. The BJP also had the blessings of the corporate lobby which lavishly
poured out money for its poll campaign, Manik Sarkar said.
However, Sarkar said, there
is no reason to take this change as permanent or think that everything has been
lost. The fact is that 69 percent of the voters did not support the BJP. We
have to reach out to those sections of the people; we have to bring about a
change in their thinking and consciousness. There is no room for getting
frustrated. Comrade Jyoti Basu’s life and deeds teach us to go to the masses
again and again. We must also approach the vast masses who do not support us.
All the questions raised by them must be answered politely, with facts and
reason. They must be imparted class consciousness and drawn to the mass and
class organisations. The BJP has nothing good to render to the people. Rather
it is committed to compensating the big corporate houses which helped it come
to power. Our national unity and communal harmony are now under severe threat
from the RSS, the hardcore Hindutva force that has always been controlling the
BJP from behind the curtain. The CPI(M) alone cannot combat this danger. We
must rally all the like minded secular forces with us. If we successfully do
it, that would be the true homage to late Comrade Jyoti Basu, Manik Sarkar
asserted.
As for Tripura, Manik Sarkar
said, Jyoti Basu always paid special attention to our state, particularly
because of the extraordinary ethnic bonding of tribal and non-tribal masses in
the state; this is something uncommon in other states of the country. He would
cite this feature of the state while addressing the people in other states.
Expressing deep respect for
late Comrade Jyoti Basu in his opening speech, Bijan Dhar said Jyoti Basu was a
beloved leader of the people of Tripura. He started visiting Tripura since 1951
and came here many times till 2005. He came here in our victory as well as in
our hard days during 1988-93. He helped the state unit of our party with his
valuable suggestions and advices on many occasions. If we look back upon the
history of the Indian communist movement, we will see the communist party
moving forward while facing one crisis after another. Referring to the poor
performance of the party in Lok Sabha elections, emergence of the BJP as the
ruling party with an absolute majority in the parliament, and the semi-fascist
attacks let loose on the communists in West Bengal, a strong base of the party,
Dhar said we are now undergoing yet another crisis, but that is no reason to be
frustrated. The teachings of Comrade Jyoti Basu would show us the path to
overcome this crisis, he concluded.
The hall meeting ended with
the rendition of Internationale in chorus.
Peoples Democracy, 22nd
June, 2014
