KOLKATA, 8th
July, 2014: The birth centenary of Jyoti Basu - one of the most revered
Communist leaders, was celebrated in West Bengal on 8thJuly with a
variety of programmes including blood donation camps, seminars and cultural
programmes. A central public meeting was organized by Jyoti Basu Birth
Centenary Committee in Nazrul Mancha in Kolkata, attended by thousands and
addressed by Left leaders and intellectuals. Jyoti Basu's photos were garlanded
outside CPI(M) offices and those of its various mass organisations in the city
and the districts
The public meeting began with a
short documentary on Jyoti Basu. The meeting, presided by veteran Forward Block
leader and Chairman of the centenary committee Ashok Ghosh, witnessed the
presence of people from all sections of life and leaders of various left
organizations.
Biman Basu, addressing the meeting
highlighted the sacrifice of Jyoti Basu in his early life when he travelled to
all parts of Bengal to develop the trade union. Biman Basu said, Jyoti Basu
left personal happiness and luxurious life to serve the toiling people. Biman
Basu also deliberated how Jyoti Basu fought ceaselessly to defend democracy.
His thoughts and ideas on the struggle for democracy are important now as West
Bengal and the country are facing an attack on democracy.
Elucidating the contribution of
Jyoti Basu to parliamentary democracy, CPI(M) Polit Bureau member Buddhadeb
Bhattacharjee said, Jyoti Basu had brought the struggle of peasants and working
classes to the centre of politics in West Bengal. “He brought the issues
of peasants and the workers to the fore in parliamentary democracy. Its origins
lay in the workers movement which was followed by strikes and protest in
factories. These protests turned into a phenomenon which engulfed the entire
industrial sector and workers were successful is ascertaining their rights,”
Bhattachrarjee said. When the Left Front assumed office, unlike any other
Chief Minister, he made it clear that the government will have to stand for the
rights of farmers and agricultural workers. “The fight for land went ahead with
giving pattas (land rights) to the farmers and then identifying the rights of
share croppers,” Bhattacharjee said.
Bhattacharjee reflected on how Mr.
Basu ensured that the State remained insulated from the communal strife in 1984
after the murder of Indira Gandhi and 1992 after demolition of Babri Masjid.
“He was secular to the core of his heart. He knew that Communist movement and
secularism has to go hand in hand,” Bhattacharjee said.
“Jyoti Babu has an unwavering
faith in democracy.. Despite himself being arrested a number of times for false
charges when the Left Front government came to power in 1977 all political
prisoners across political lines were freed. It was like a general amnesty,” he
said.
Referring to present times
Bhattacharjee said that it is clear that the politics in the country has taken
a “right turn” with the alliance of corporates and Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangha
(RSS) ruling the nation but added that it is imperative for the Left forces to
take lessons from Jyoti Basu's life and put up a fight.
Noted economist Prabhat Patnaik
outlined the features of contemporary Indian politics and said, neo liberal
policies have created a situation where growth of industrial production has
reached almost negative, rate of inflation has risen to almost ten per
cent. Corporate elite have chosen Modi to come out of their own crisis. On the
other hand, the rapid growth of unemployment has contributed to growth of
lumpen proletariat. The dangerous repercussions of the process is already
evident in West Bengal where the attack on women and criminal activities are on
rise. This situation can give rise to fascism. Only the Left can counter the
threat of fascism through struggle on alternative policy trajectories.
Patnaik said, unlike P Sundarya,
Jyoti Basu was born in an elite family. But he identified himself with the
working people of the country. He was one of the most popular Communist leaders
after Castro brothers. The crisis in Bengal was the backdrop in which the Left
movement in Bengal developed and leaders like Jyoti Basu emerged. The Left
could play its role as real initiator of Bengal renaissance.
Veteran CPI(M) leader Hasim Abdul
Halim, CPI leader Manjukumar Majumdar, RSP leader Khisti Goswami, intellectual
Azizul Haque emphasized the need of Left unity in this hour of difficult
struggle.
