Jyothi Basu’s contribution to Indian polity was recognised by eminent speakers at a unique workshop held at St Joseph’s College recently. The speakers were unanimous in their opinion that the death of Mr Basu was a great loss both for the Communist Party of India and the nation as a whole. 
Dr Sabyasachi Chatterjee, Professor at the Indian Space Research Organisation said, “Jyothi Basu’s first political position was as the leader of the Railway workers’ association. Therefore we come to know that he started off his career with the working man and ended his career with the working people.”
Dr Chatterjee added that while the other national leaders like Indira Gandhi declared socialism to be their objective when she declared emergency in 1975, Basu did not. “When asked why he did not, Mr Basu had said that socialism he could not declare socialism as they were serious about implementing it in India,” he said.
He also spoke about Basu’s role in protesting against the Bengal famine in 1955 that claimed fifty five lakhs people. “The crisis was created by black marketers and hoarders who created an artificial shortage of food,” Dr Chatterjee said. “Jyothi Basu was anti-imperialistic, anti-landlord and always gave equal rights to ever
yone, irrespective of caste, creed, sex, etc,” he opined.
Ms Parvathi Menon, Bangalore Chief of Bureau, The Hindu, in her presentation said that Mr Basu was responsible for the implementation of Panchayati Raj in West Bengal. “Even though the Panchayat system of rural governance had become popular all over the country, it was only in West Bengal that it had such a large role to play,” said Ms Menon.
She further added that the land reforms were the other major achievement of Jyothi Basu. “Though only three percent of the agricultural land in India is in West Bengal, it still accounts for 21 percent of the total land re-distribution in India, which is the highest in the country,” she said.
Ms Menon took exception to the media portrayed Mr Basu and the Left. “His achievements were always brushed under the carpet and his faults were unnecessarily
magnified,” she lamented. She spoke of Singhur, of its exhaustive media coverage and questioned why the media never spoke about the land distribution successes, especially 30,000 acres of land redistribution that took place in 2006-07.
“The left was always criticised for not bringing about enough investment and industrial development, but when the present Chief Minister tried to encourage investments, the Left was again attacked for going against the poor,” she said.
Commending him as the only public figure who donated his eyes and body for medical purpose, she said that even in his death he inspired people.
Principal of St Joseph’s, Fr Ambrose Pinto said, “There is a lesson we can learn from Basu’s life which is how to make the public cause our own.”
- Sidharth I MS Com
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