Opposition hampering progress of West Bengal: Jyoti Basu

Kolkata, Feb 8 : Those opposing industrialisation in West Bengal were doing so to keep the state underdeveloped and they themselves had no policies or programme, veteran Marxist leader Jyoti Basu said today.

"The opposition in the state are putting obstructions in the path of industrialisation to keep the state backward. They are not allowing West Bengal to progress. They are doing so as they do not have any policy or programme," the nonagenerian former chief minister said in a message sent to a Left Front rally here to kick off its Lok Sabha election campaign.

Stating that he had learnt of the Centre's clearance of the proposed PCPIR at Nayachar, Basu said, "The opposition is now threatening to obstruct it. I now think they want to oppose implementation of anything that is good and beneficial for West Bengal."

Jyoti Basu is fine, says Left Front

Kolkata, Feb 8: West Bengal’s ruling Left Front Sunday blamed “vested interests” for rumours that Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPI-M) leader Jyoti Basu was seriously ill and said he was “fine”.“Basu is fine. He has some problems in his legs and back which is why he could not attend the gathering today (at the Brigade Parade ground),” Left Front chairman Biman Bose told the rally.

“Yesterday (Saturday) I met Basu at his residence… His doctor advised Basu not to visit any place where there may be dust. He is not with us for health reason,” he said.

Bose read out a statement from Jyoti Basu urging the people to vote for the ruling front in the coming Lok Sabha polls.

Media offices Sunday received many telephone calls from people anxious to know if Basu was seriously ill.

Basu was West Bengal’s chief minister from June 21, 1977 to Nov 6, 2000. He stepped down due to poor health and was succeeded by Buddhadeb Bhattacherjee.

Vote for more responsible government at centre: Jyoti Basu

Kolkata,7th February,2009: Ahead of the Lok Sabha polls, former West Bengal chief minister and Marxist patriarch Jyoti Basu on Saturday said politicians and people should work together for a "better and more responsible government" at the centre.

"It's high time politicians and the public worked together to form a better and more responsible government (at the centre). Hence I request all people through the media to cast their votes as well as make sure that their neighbours exercise this democratic right too this election," Basu told the media at his Salt Lake residence here.

The nonagenarian, who is a veteran of the Communist Party of India-Marxist - CPI(M) that has been in power in West Bengal since 1977, called upon people to exercise their democratic right in the Lok Sabha polls in April-May.

The CPI(M), along with three other left parties, had provided crucial outside support to the Congress-led United Progressive Alliance (UPA) government that came to power at the centre in the 2004 elections, but withdrew last year to oppose the India-US civil nuclear deal.

Coming down heavily on the state's opposition parties, primarily the Trinamool Congress, Basu said they only wanted to make West Bengal a backward state.

"The parties who are opposing the CPI(M)-backed Left Front in the coming Lok Sabha elections don't want any development - be it social, economic or political - to take place in the state. And they are thrusting their opinion on people using firearms," Basu said.

"These parties have neither a definite political agenda, nor any principle. All they are concerned about is making West Bengal a backward state. They want to harm the state and its people."

"In the absence of morality and political knowledge, all these parties understand is to make people obey them by threatening them with firearms," Basu said.

JYOTI BASU VISITS BIDHANNAGAR MELA

KOLKATA, 29th January: He came, saw and conquered. Having been associated with this mela, which he could watch from his Indira Bhavan terrace for the last 19 years, Jyoti Basu took a stroll was driven around, to be precise at Bidhannagar Mela, for old times' sake.

Around 5.40 pm, the veteran Marxist came to the mela ground, saw and won hearts in just a few minutes, despite age and failing health. Jyoti babu also accepted bouquets from the mela organisers. All the while he sat inside his car, disappointing the crowd that had gathered to catch a glimpse of the jananeta. The nonagenarian preferred to remain within the confines of his home for the last two months. The only other time he had been outdoors was when he called on son Chandan (barely a five-minute drive from his Salt Lake residence) last week. But public appearances have become quite a no-no for the former chief minister.

Wednesday was an exception. "We have been advising him to move around but Jyoti babu does not seem too keen on it," confessed a physician. Under the circumstances, the fair committee members did not quite expect him to climb the dais as he always would. Instead, they were happy to greet Jyoti Basu as he sat in the car.

"He just smiled and touched my hand. As he hasn't been keeping well, we did not want to bother him. We are happy that he could make it," said Ila Nandy, vice-chairperson of Bidhannagar Municipality, who is also a mela committee member. The committee members had invited him, knowing that he may not be able to visit, after all. They were pleasantly surprised to learn that Basu wished to come to the mela, which he has been inaugurating for the past 19 years.

"He could not do the honours this time because of indisposition. But since he wanted to attend the mela, we took him today," said Basu's confidential assistant Joykrishna Ghosh.

PHOTO:SHYAMAL BASU

Jyoti Basu greets Sheikh Hasina for landslide victory

Kolkata, 30th Dec : The former Chief Minister of West Bengal, Jyoti Basu, has hailed the win of Sheikh Hasina and wished the people of Bangladesh well.

The veteran politician, who was on very good terms with Ms. Hasina during her previous tenure in the mid-90s, said: “I congratulate Sheikh Hasina and her party the Awami League, and my good wishes for the people of Bangladesh.”

“I knew the late Mujibur Rahman (father of Sheikh Hasina and chief architect of Bangladesh) from the days when he was involved in student organisations and I had very cordial relations with him,” the nonagenarian leader said. “She called on me at my residence when she came visiting to India,” he said.

He reminisced that he has known the Awami League leader for long – “since the days when she was the Prime Minister of Bangladesh.” He also talked on the India-Bangladesh Water Treaty signed during those times.

It may be mentioned that the treaty on sharing of Ganga Waters at Farakka in West Bengal was described by India as a landmark in the bilateral relations between the two countries.

The role played by Mr. Basu too was lauded in a suo motu statement in the Rajya Sabha made by External Affairs Minister I.K. Gujral on December 12, 1996, on the visit of Sheikh Hasina and the signing of the treaty. Mr. Gujral had placed on record the Centre’s appreciation and the “very constructive role played by the Chief Minister of West Bengal and his Cabinet colleagues in bringing about an improved atmosphere in which the treaty between India and Bangladesh has become possible.”

Mr. Basu also spoke about the bus service introduced between India and Bangladesh three years later (in 1999), linking Kolkata and Dhaka. This was the first such link between the two countries and was seen as restoration of commercial road transport between the two major cities. “I had also gone with the then Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee to Dhaka at that time,” Mr. Basu said.

JYOTI BASU AND MARADONA

Diego Maradona visits Jyoti Basu

7 Dec 2008, PTI

KOLKATA: Soccer icon Diego Maradona regards Marxist veteran Jyoti Basu as one of his close acquaintances considering his "closeness" to Cuban leader Fidel Castro. "You have seen Fidel Castro closely whom I hold in high esteem and in that respect I too consider you as close to me,"

Maradona, an ardent admirer of Castro, told nonagenarian Jyoti Basu during his ten-minute meeting with the Marxist patriarch. Basu gifted Maradona an album of photos of Fidel Castro taken during the Cuban leader's visit to the city.

The football legend was scheduled to visit Basu in the morning, but deferred it to afternoon on the second day of his tour of the city after media persons, including lensmen, were roughed up by the police and some miscreants near the CPI(M) leader's Salt Lake residence.

During the tete-e-tete, done with the help of interpreters, the former West Bengal Chief Minister wished Maradona long life. Much to the disappointment of the large crowd, Maradona, however, did not climb the dais erected in front of Basu's residence and left the area in a huff without addressing his fans.

V.P. Singh’s death loss for national polity: Basu

Kolkata, Nov 27 : Condoling former prime minister Vishwanath Pratap Singh’s death, veteran Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPI-M) leader Jyoti Basu Thursday said that it was a “loss for the national polity”.

He (V.P. Singh) was all along vocal against the criminalisation of politics. The death of the leader, known for his clean public image and value-based politics, is a loss for our national polity,” Basu, former West Bengal chief minister, said in a statement here.

Recalling his association with V.P. Singh, Basu recalled that the leftists had supported him when he resigned from the Rajiv Gandhi ministry protesting against corruption and later when he became the prime minister.

“V.P. Singh always fought communalism. He had stressed the need for uniting the secular and democratic forces to thwart the dangers of communalism,” he said.

Basu remembered V.P. Singh’s vital role in the formation of the United Front government of 1996 and the United Progressive Alliance (UPA) government in 2004, and said he had taken important steps for the upliftment of the other backward classes.