Communism in Bengal
M.V.Kamath
Mid-Day
April 22, 1999
Title: Communism in Bengal
Author: M.V.Kamath
Publication: Mid-Day
Date: April 22, 1999
Communism is dead as mutton in Russia; it is almost dead in China. It
is detested everywhere. But it survives in a part of India called West
Bengal in a most ridiculous form.
The Jyoti Basu type of communism lies in terrorising the entire
populace, in ridiculing Hinduism and in running down one of the finest
of Indian institutions, the Sri Ramakrishna Mission. At one stage the
Mission even went to the extent of insisting that it is not Hindu -
but a different sect altogether. Those who know say that the Mission
authorities were driven to desperation by the CPM's terror tactics. On
March 17, 1999, The Telegraph carried an interesting report from its
own staff reporter on the CPM's shenanigans. The paper quoted Anil
Biswas, CPM's West Bengal secretary as saying that the party has been
colonising institutions of learning for a long time.
"The statement b Biswas, ,Y regarded as Bengal's education czar, comes
a week after the chief Minister's public admission that a Left Front
education cell controls education in the state" the report said.
In the CPM's own mouthpiece, Ganashakti, Biswas said: "There is
nothing new in reports that our organisational team oversees the
affairs of different universities in Bengal". And he added for good
measure: "As a matter of fact, communist party teams have been looking
after party interests in institutions of higher learning since 1953".
That would be 46 years ago.
In other words, all educational institutions in West Bengal are
tainted with communism and no one dares question the party. What the
party says is right.
Biswas made his observation in the wake of disclosures that the CPM,
not satisfied with mere control over appointment of key university
posts, has assigned party leaders to look after institutions of higher
learning.
What is significant is that there has not been a whisper about the
politicisation of education in West Bengal from any quarters, least of
all the Congress. Jyoti Basu and his CPM goons have had a free hand
all these years.
Writes The Telegraph: "Biswas's admission in the party organ is also a
telling testimony to the fact that the CPM, in a throw-back to
Stalinist days, sees nothing fundamentally wrong in the party
controlling areas of such public interest as education.
I have a question to ask of the Congress and its president Sonia
Gandhi. What does she think of all this? In the first place has she
even been aware of how the CPM controls education in West Bengal? If
the answer is yes, are we to presume that she approves of it? But if
it does not meet her approval what is she planning to do about it?
My suggestion is that rather than play up the Admiral Bhagwat episode,
she should be doing a true national service by looking into the status
of education in West Bengal to find out the extent to which it has
been corrupted there.
But that is not all. According to The Telegraph, setting aside the
larger issue of why the Left Front needs to have an education cell,
the CPM has shown "scant respect for the opinion of its allies". Only
recently Jyoti Basu appointed one Surabhi Bannerjee as pro-vice
chancellor of the venerable Calcutta University. He consulted none of
his left coalition partners. A CPI member of the education cell, Amiya
Basu is quoted as saying: "We are totally ignored and treated shabbily
as far as appointments to key posts are concerned."
The CPM is now working out its strategy to appoint five
vice-chancellors of its choice at Calcutta, North Bengal, Kalyani and
Vidyasagar Universities and BE College, a deemed university.
Importantly, according to The Telegraph, "In end-1997, the Registrar,
Finance Officer and the
Controller of Examination at Jadavpur University were appointed,
skirting the guidelines of the University Grants Commission (UGC).
While the registrar and the controller of examinations did not have
the requisite educational qualifications, the finance office did not
conform to the stipulated age. Now, either The Telegraph is reporting
correctly or it is not. If it is not, then no doubt Jyoti Basu or his
hoodlums will take care of the paper. In Calcutta it is easy to get
workers go on strike. That is why industry after industry has left the
state in search of areas of peace.
Arnab Roy, an RSP teacher- member of the Front's Education Cell is
quoted as saying: "In most cases, teachers are appointed to colleges
and universities on the basis of their political affiliation and not
merit ..... none of these appointments figure in the Front's
meetings." I don't know whether Sonia
Gandhi reads The Telegraph or whether anybody on her personal staff
has brought this report to her attention. I can't imagine her
attention being drawn to this column either. We are small people. I
read a lot of newspaper but seldom have I ever read a proper study
made of the Left Front government in West Bengal, how it operates, how
it terrorises people, how it distorts every aspect of life, beginning
with education.
I am grateful to The Telegraph for whatever little they have said
about appointment where I had read some critical comment on the Left
Front government.
It is against this background that, I have sympathy for Mamata
Bannerjee and her odd behaviour. She faces a real problem Fear.
There is one thing that Gandhiji taught us when we were young; not to
fear. But Gandhiji has been dead all these 50 plus years.
The CPM has no compunction in throwing mud at Hinduism and Hindutva.
No wonder. Calcutta is the only city in the world which has a street
named after Mao Tse-tung. And Mao was an enemy of India. He had no
respect for Mahatmaji and had still less respect for India.
But Jyoti Basu's CPM venerates Mao.
That should tell us everything.
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