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By Malabika Bhattacharya
The West Bengal Chief Minister, Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee (left), and the State CPI(M) chairman, Biman Bose(right), having a discussion with the veteran CPI(M) leader, Jyoti Basu, at a meeting organised on the occasion of 25 years of Left Front rule in the State, in Kolkata on Friday. — Photo: Sushanta Patronobish
"We are realists. We know that we cannot grow unless we initiate change in the economic order,'' the Chief Minister, Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee, said addressing a gathering at the Netaji Indoor Stadium auditorium on the occasion of the silver jubilee of the Left Front's rule in the State. "But the change should be brought about in such a manner that the poor man's interest is safeguarded.'' The Left Front leaders today went back to their roots while reaffirming the commitment to quality governance and pursuit of ideological goals. The old and new generation leaders relived the memories of 1977 when the Front first came to power and of the intervening years when it entrenched itself in the national consciousness. West Bengal today wore a festive look as Left supporters celebrated the completion of 25 years of the coalition in office. Red flags fluttered at street crossings and processions, meetings were organised and exhibitions mounted chronicling the pre-1977 Congress regime and its aftermath. The 88-year-old Jyoti Basu, principal architect of the Front's marathon rule, backed his successor, Mr. Bhattacharjee, saying the Front had no option but to grow in this technology-driven age. Mr. Basu created history in 1994 when he forced a drastic change in the CPI(M)'s views on private participation in industries in the State without which, he said, it could never hit the road to industrialisation. "We realised then the role private investment can play in changing the contours of the economy.'' The bulk of the soccer-crazy Bengal remained indoors to watch the Brazil-England match. Yet a large number of men and women assembled at the stadium. One of the highlights of today's celebrations was the harping by the leaders of the CPI(M) and its allies on the need for regarding the agenda for reforms in the context of the overall Front's unity as well as the existence of the common man. From Mr. Basu to Biman Bose, Front chairman, to Anil Biswas to Ashok Ghosh, Forward Bloc leader, to Manju Mazumdar, CPI secretary, all espoused the factors of unity and the reforms for the good of the common man. Mr. Bhattacharjee assured the rural Bengal that the agriculture would always figure high on his Government's list of priorities. The Front had remained in office for so many years mainly because of the land reforms and the panchayat system it had introduced after coming to office, he said. When the event was unfolding itself in the stadium, Mamata Banerjee's Trinamool Congress staged demonstrations against what it described as the Leftists misrule in the past 25 years.
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