Hindu Vivek Kendra
A RESOURCE CENTER FOR THE PROMOTION OF HINDUTVA
   
 
 
«« Back
HVK Archives: Interview of Jyoti Basu - 2 of 3 - Comments

Interview of Jyoti Basu - 2 of 3 - Comments - The Indian Express

Express news service ()
2 January 1997

Title : Basu's frank comments draw flak from comrades - 2 of 3
Author : Express news service
Publication : The Indian Express
Date : January 2, 1997

West Bengal Chief Minister Jyoti Basu's reported statement describing
Communist party of India (Marxist) decision to keep out of the United Front
government as "a historic blunder" seems to have stirred a hornet's nest in
the party.

While the CPI(M) point bureau issued a statement maintaining that the
question of the party's participation was "settled and closed" after it was
discussed at a meeting of its central committee in May last year, a number of
senior party leaders including members of the party's polite bureau and
Kerala Chief Minister E K Nayanar, felt Basu's remarks were unfortunate.

In an interview to English daily The Asian Age, which provoked sharp reaction
from his partymen, Basu is also reported to have stated that one section in
the party favoured participation in the UF Government but its view was
overruled by the majority in the CPI(M) central committee.

In a statement, the party's poet bureau today maintained that "the question
of joining the Central Government was full discussed by the central committee
of the party in May 1996. The central committee decided against joining the
government. With this, the issue was settled and closed."

In Thiruvananthapuram, Nayanar wanted the party leadership to consider
seriously whether Basu should have openly aired his views on the stand taken
by the party vis-a-vis joining the United Front Government.

Nayanar said a majority of the party's central committee members were against
joining the UF Government. "Does it not show that we are a democratic party?
But it is a matter for our party to consider seriously whether Basu should
have openly made his remark," he added.

In Visakhapatnam CPI(M) poet bureau member L B Gangadhara Rao and central
committee member Nanduri Prasada Rao described Basu's remarks as
"unfortunate".

In a joint statement they said that "the party programme and policy make it
clear that the party will not join a government where it is in hopeless
minority and where its voice will be submerged."

CPI(M) was a party of special mould with iron discipline and every party
member had to obey the party decision once it was taken democratically.

The party constitution and rules allowed party members to express their
opinions freely in party committees but once a decision was taken by majority
it should be strictly followed by all members whatever may be their
individual views and opinions, the statement said.

"If this organisational principle is violated, CPI(M) win degenerate as any
other party," the joint statement added.

In Calcutta, CPI(M) central committee member and editor of the state party
organ, Ganashakti, Anil Biswas, who was opposed to the idea of the party
joining the government said the central committee has not made any assessment
of the implications of its decision.

"There is, as such, no question of regarding the decision as right or wrong,"
he observed.

Political observers felt that as far as West Bengal is concerned, Basu's
observation will bring the pro-changes and no-changes back on the collision
course.

Basu's stand had been supported by the West Bengal Home Minister and central
committee member Buddhadev Bhattacharya and Transport Minister Subhas
Chakraborty. However, it was strongly opposed by leaders like Biswas, Biman
Bose, Niren Ghosh and Benoy Konar who wield considerable clout in the CPI(M)
state secretariat.



Back                          Top

«« Back
 
 
 
  Search Articles
 
  Special Annoucements