THE varied assignments I had to undertake gave me ample opportunities to visit many parts of India and to have the privilege of acquainting myself with almost all top Communist leaders, both in prison and outside.
Of course there were leaders who were taller than and equal to Jyothi Basu among them. Still Basu stands a class apart, unique in personality and style of work.
Though he was a colossus who strode across the Indian political scene for more than half a century and had an unparalleled distinction of holding on to the reins of power continuously for over two decades in a turbulent state, his deportment was gentle, amiable and even sweet.
With a handsome face and winning smile and attired in soft `juba’ and Bengali dhoti, he held in check wild and violent elements that were waiting in the bush for Basus’s exit.
If the succession of power in 2000 was smooth and orderly, with no incumbency problem, the credit goes to this veteran of many a battle.
Jyoti Basu’s administration of West Bengal advanced step-by-step with the implementation of longdelayed land reforms and empowerment of local self-governments.
Though these measures seemed to be mild exercises, it really affected the power structure of the rural sector.
Certainly there were opposition at the grass roots of the society. In Kerala, during the first Communist ministry under E M S Namboothiripad, it was such grassroots opposition which blew up into insurrectionary proportions and added grist to the mill of the so-called liberation struggle. Basu’s administration managed to stem such a tide and the result was a new awakening in rural economy.
Kerala, West Bengal and Andhra Pradesh were the strongholds of Communists before their split in 1964. The majority of party stalwarts were with the CPI.
In spite of this, Kerala and West Bengal, chose to be with the CPM. It would be wrong to ascribe the credit for this to one or two individuals.
But still, it would be harsh to deny the role of personalities in political transformation.
E M S Namboothiripad and A K Gopalan played a pivotal role in rallying the majority of cadres and masses to the CPI(M). Like that in West Bengal, the credit went to the Jyoti Basu-Pramod Das Gupta duo.
Pramod Das Gupta was a quiet operator and efficient organiser.
But this alone did not help in mobilising the cadres for the party. Basu’s immense popularity and dynamism coupled with Das Gupta’s operational astuteness were responsible for the rout of CPI in West Bengal.
The road to power was full of obstacles and pit falls. One was the challenge of Naxalites who began their tragic trajectory in West Bengal.
Next came the semi-fascist aggrandisement under the leadership of the then Chief Minister Siddarth Shankar Ray with the blessings of the then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi.
Even in Bara Nagar, a constituency from which Jyothi Basu has been getting elected with thumping majorities, he was trounced once.
The reason was of course the rabble rousing tactics of Siddarth Shankar Ray and Indira Gandhi, and the misuse of the administrative mechanism, the conduct of elections.
Almost ten thousand CPM members and supporters had to leave Bengal as refugees from the terror regime of Siddarth Shankar Ray.
Thereafter the CPM boycotted all elections and only in 1977, after the emergency, that they chose to participate in the elections again. It was a tremendous comeback for the party at whose helm was the winner Jyoti Basu. Then it was a continuous victory election after election.
From the anarchy of the emergency regime, Jyoti Basu and his colleagues were able to build a stable political system in West Bengal.
By about that time many stalwarts including Pramod Das Gupta passed away leaving Jyothi Basu who took care of the party almost singlehandedly in West Bengal.
Jyothi Basu’s relation with Kerala was very cordial. E M S Namboothiripad and Jyothi Basu shared many common views particularly at a time when the so-called liberation struggle in Kerala toppled the first elected Communist Government, that too with the support of the Government of India.
A wave of resentment swept all over the country and among those who felt dismay at the turn of events were many Congressmen including the then President Rajendra Prasad.
The greatest protest action was the massive rally held in Kolkotta under the leadership of Jyothi Basu. In 1964, though EMS threw in his lot with the CPI(M) he had some reservations regarding the policies advocated by some top leaders. It was generally, though not correctly, believed that CPI(M) was on the side of China in the ideological struggle between the Chinese party and Soviet party. EMS did not want any such alignments.
In 1964, the Kerala coalition government formed under the leadership of the Congress broke down and interim elections were declared.
Most of the cadres of the CPI(M) including a large number of candidates were in prison and hence EMS almost single-handedly campaigned for his party.
But Jyothi Basu came from Kolkotta to campaign along with him and travelled extensively throughout Kerala. This was the first election in which the CPI(M) and CPI contested to establish their real strength. The CPI(M) emerged as the single largest party in the Kerala Legislature. The Congress could not form a government and the CPI could secure only three seats. Jyothi Basu’s extensive campaign in the state had an electrifying result. Basu is among the most popular of all Indian leaders of the party to win the heart and soul of Kerala.
Though he passed away at a mature age, it is a sad thought that Kerala will never again see his smiling face and silver tongued oratory and the exuberant enthusiasm which emanated from him.
(The writer is a CPM idealogue.)
