Learn from past mistakes, Buddhadeb tells Communists

Left Front Chairman Biman Bose releasing in Kolkata on Saturday a compilation of select essays and documents written by CPI(M) leaders and political commentators outlining the Communist movement .

By Raktima Bose

The Hindu, Date: 06/02/2011

Kolkata: Criticising the Trinamool Congress for trying to mislead the people of West Bengal through slander campaign against the Left Front government and its achievements over the last 34 years, Chief Minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee in a recent write-up has emphasised need for the State's Communists to undertake self-introspection and learn from past mistakes so as to be able to face the “chaotic and violent” forces trying to dislodge the present government.

Titled ‘Left is the sole pathway', the article encapsulates Mr. Bhattacharjee's views on an array of issues - land reforms, agriculture, industrialisation, violence perpetrated by the Maoists and other separatist forces in alleged collusion with the Trinamool Congress, violence in educational institutions and the need for self-introspection.

The write-up is part of a compilation of essays and documents written by various past and present CPI(M) leaders like Jyoti Basu, E.M.S. Namboodripad, Pramod Dasgupta, Prakash Karat and Manik Sarkar among others that has been published in the form of a book titled “Left Front Government: People's is the last word”. The compendium was released by the State's Left Front Committee chairman Biman Bose on Saturday.

The first edition of the book does not feature any article written by leaders of the three other alliance partners of the CPI(M) in the Left Front. Mr. Bose assured that the articles will be included in the second edition.

Slamming the Trinamool Congress for allegedly trying to obscure the Left Front's contribution in the State's land reform movement, through negative campaigns, he said that the TMC is trying to upset the State government's efforts for industrialisation and urbanisation.

“Does the Trinamool Congress call for ‘change' mean pulling the plug on all opportunities of employment for students and send them back to the farms? Closing down roads, factories, schools and colleges is the essence of Trinamool Congress ‘change',” Mr. Bhattacharjee said.

Saying that the State government has learnt its lessons from the Singur and Nandigram incidents, he assured that the government will act “cautiously” in future and “strike a balance between agriculture and industry”.

Rubbishing Union Railway Minister Mamata Banerjee's claims of creating one lakh employment opportunities through railway projects as “false promises”, Mr. Bhattacharjee charged the Trinamool Congress with colluding with the Maoists and holding both covert and overt meetings with them.

“The Opposition is trying to spread the Maoist violence throughout the State and we are trying our best to stop them at the western borders…the Trinamool Congress has brought this danger to the State and they have to answer the people,” he said and added that the party has also joined hands with various separatist forces to divide the State.

Admitting that “misbehaviour and arrogance” of a section of the Communist Party of India (Marxist) workers have alienated people from the party, Mr. Bhattacharjee said that the leaders and workers should accept criticism and try to mend their mistakes.