Spartan Poet-Politician Buddhadeb Remembered at Huge Gathering in Kolkata

Kolkata: “Seldom has anyone been able to mingle Tagore’s ideals with Marxist-Leninist principles” was a key theme, as many speakers remembered late Buddhadeb Bhattacharya, CPI(M) leader and former West Bengal Chief Minister, at a packed remembrance meeting held in Kolkata’s  Netaji Indoor Stadium here on Thursday.

The sombre meeting resonated with songs and poetry recitals by singers such as Lopamudra Mitra, Agnibho Bandhyapadhya, Alok Roychoudhury, Rajayashri Bhattacharya, elocutionists Urmimala Basu and Rajat Bandhyapadhya. The remembrance ceremony overflowed with Tagore’s songs and poems and also those of poet Jibonanada Das.

The meeting began with 80 (the later leader’s age) half-mast Red Flags carried to the venue by Red Volunteers. A huge portrait of the late leader was garlanded by CPI(M) leaders. After that homage was also paid to the memory of the RG Kar rape-murder victim. A one-minute silence each was observed for the memory of the late Chief Minister as well as the RG Kar victim.

“Buddhada was a man of perfection. He did all his duties with perfection. Had his vision of providing jobs to the youths of the state materialized, the state would not see this day when one crore youth are leaving the state as migrant labour in search of work,” said CPI(M) state secretary Mohd. Salim, who said he was lucky to have Buddhadeb Bhattacharya as his leader, and teacher.

“We organise remembrance meetings not to shed tears but to harden our resolve to fight for a just, equitable and safe society” he said.

Salim went on to add that when Bhattacharya was thrown out from power “owing to a conspiracy”, he was engaged in the fight for justice and equality. “Vision-wise, he was a hardcore secular human being who tried to fight for the cause of the working class and farmers,” he added.

CPI(M) general secretary Sitaram Yechury, who is admitted in Delhi’s AIIMS, in a video recording, said Bhattacharya was a visionary who had dreams for West Bengal. “He wanted to build up and industrialise the state of West Bengal. His vision and his work will keep him alive in the minds of millions of in the country,” he said. 

The huge gathering saw people from all walks of life, including former IAS officers, former India cricket captain Sourav Ganguly, CAB president Snehasish Ganguly, artistes and hundreds of ordinary people and party workers and supporters.  

Addressing the gathering, CPI(M) politburo member Surjyakanta Mishra reminiscenced two instances. One, was about how they had jointly dealt with crib deaths at the BC Roy Children’s Hospital when he was health minister, and how they later built up the hospital as per international standards. The second instance, Mishra said, was when he, as state party secretary, had to rebuke Bhattacharya to stay in hospital and had to remind him that his life was the property of the party and he could not risk his life by staying away from hospital.

Left Front Chairman Biman Basu underscored that the human values that Bhattacharya imbibed in himself should be emulated by all the party organisers in the state. Basu recalled that during his underground days, Buddhadeb had to stay with him in a small room and that is when their camaraderie strengthened.