People's Democracy

40TH ANNIVERSARY OF FIRST UNITED FRONT GOVT 

Forging Ahead With The Lessons Learnt 

Biman Basu 

At the swearing in of the first UF government on March 2, 1967; 

(from right to left): Jyoti Basu, Hemanta Basu, Dr Prafulla Ghosh, Ajoy Mukherjee, Somnath Lahiri and Jahangir Prabir

THE year 2007 marks the 40th anniversary of the first United Front government in Bengal. To understand and realise the backdrop of the pro-people Left Front government in Bengal (presently in its 30th year), we have to listen to the footfalls of history. An important learning experience of history for us is certainly the two United Front governments. The first UF government, set up on March 2, 1967 was brought down on November 21 of the same year. The second UF government that was established on February 25, 1969 was dismissed on March 16, 1970. Both governments were made the target of Article 356 of the Indian Constitution.  

The background of the setting up and progress of these two UF governments was dominated by a continuous mazdoor-kisan struggle across Bengal that looked to the interests of the mass of the people. United Front had also emphasised on safeguarding the democratic rights of the people. It is imperative that an analysis be made of the developments that took place four decades ago in the political scenario of Bengal. 
The thirty years of pro-people existence of the Bengal Left Front government has witnessed a remarkable progress made in the economy of the state. Similarly, there has been a great and good accumulation of valuable experience over the past three decades. The situation often brings to mind the claim made by some leaders of the present Bengal Left Front about their having been part of the process of the setting up of the United Front and the Left Front at the state level. The claim may not always be a purveyor of the truth of the matter. This is because many of these leaders were just not involved as part of the central functioning of their respective parties. Their work was limited to the level of the districts in most instances in respect of either their party or their mass organisation.  

UNITED FRONT AND ITS GOVERNMENT  

How the United Front government was established? It is a fact that before the 1967 elections, not all Left forces could reach a proper understanding to fight Congress unitedly. As a result, two anti-Congress fronts emerged and fought each other to defeat the Congress! Despite the division of the votes of the Left and their allied forces, Congress could be rendered a minority in the 286-assembly-seat elections. In fact, to fulfil the genuine desire of the people of Bengal, United Left Front (ULF) and Progressive United Left Front (PULF) had a number of discussions among themselves and finally the United Front was formed.  

However, the task involving the setting up of the United Front was hardly an easy one. Had it been so, we would not have had to witness the appearance of two anti-Congress fronts, i.e., the ULF and the PULF. I myself could gather some amount of experience in this regard thanks to my going to the house of Comrade Sudhin Kumar of the RCPI who was then the convener of the United Front and in the process of acting as a courier of the communications, that Comrade Promode Dasgupta would send out.  

We ought to mention here that many of the constituents of the then United Front would not take with grace the situation when the home department under the deputy-chief minister Jyoti Basu would not repress the kisan struggle led by the then land and land revenue minister Comrade Harekrishna Konar. Many of the constituent parties who are now in the present Left Front remained with the chief minister Ajoy Mukherjee, and they were against the overall policy of the United Front.  

CONSPIRACIES GALORE 

The state United Front government could carry on the administrative work for some time following the setting up of the United Front. However, the moment the elements of vested interests started to conspire, there appeared a lack of understanding amongst the United Front partners. This state of affairs would make Ajoy Mukherjee anguished whenever there was a movement-struggle for securing the interests of the mass of the people and of the mazdoor-kisan.  

At one point of time, during the first United Front government when the officer-in-charge of Gajol police station in Maldah chose to repress the people there, the deputy chief minister and home minister Jyoti Basu transferred that police officer away from Gajol. However, that was not be acceded to by the chief minister Ajoy Mukherjee. There came a time when Mukherjee would not hesitate to call the government that he himself led as a ‘barbaric government.’ This pleased most the dark conspirators of the vested interests both in the state and outside of it.  

Programme of development 

The Bengal Left Front government is now engaged in implementing a policy where the agricultural success of Bengal is consolidated, agriculture is extended and diversified, and on this strong base, a programme is undertaken to build up large and middling industries. This is a new and novel path of development which can well be described an ‘untravelled path.’  

The elements of vested interests, both here and abroad, have adopted new tactics to extend a net of vile conspiracy against the state LF government itself. We must recall the important fact that after going through some preliminary work towards setting up of industries here, former chief minister Jyoti Basu announced a new industrial policy in 1994 to attract indigenous and foreign investors.  

It was during his tenure that the Haldia Petrochemicals, Salt Lake electronic complex, and the Bakreswar thermal power plant were set up and expanded. Even then, impediments were created against the developmental drive, and the people of the state, coming forward in a united manner, thwarted all such dirty attempts. The elements of today who are engaged in newer tactics to try to destroy the programme of large-scale industrialisation of the state, too, shall have to backtrack in the face of the strong and united opposition of the people of Bengal.  

In recalling the forty years since the formation of the first United Front government in Bengal, we must draw the correct lessons from the history of the setting up and the bringing down of the two UF governments. We shall also draw lessons from the experience where some people of the state whose legs would start to shake when facing a crisis or any kind of disorderly situation. We have to note that a number of the constituents of the present Bengal Left Front were not able and willing to remain in place following the dismissal of the second UF government in 1970.  

There must be a political, organisational, and indeed, a historical reason for such a phenomenon. We would not like to delve deep into those aspects in the present article. Nevertheless, we can hardly afford to forget that after the dismissal of the second United Front government, dark forces gradually started to come out of their hide-outs, and to come gradually to an understanding with the Congress, moving in coordination with the central police forces, and started to establish semi-fascist terror on the people of the Bengal.  

We would exhort upon the leadership, workers, close sympathisers, and well-wishers of the Party to apply reason and judgement and ensure that we do not become morose out of confusion and hesitation. We have seen in the annals of history across place and time that there are people who become aimless and confused when they have to forge patiently a new path being confronted with the tough challenge of cross-roads and turning points. This must never be allowed to happen.  

IMPORTANCE OF THE LESSONS OF HISTORY 

The experience of the two United Front governments and the gradual dissolution of the dark clouds of semi-fascist terror have provided the inspiration to different Left political parties to forge together a Left Front. Many years ago, Georgi Dimitrov explained the circumstances in which the process where the communists build up a united front with other social democrat and democratic forces is helped. He noted further that it was essential to build up a unity based on working and that this was the real road to building up a political unity of the working class. 

We are running the Left Front and the Left Front government in Bengal as part of the Indian masses and in the background of the present political situation at the all-India level. Complexities appear anew in the Indian political situation and the reactionary forces are coming together in a new form with new tactics. In the circumstances, the task to build up our Left unity on a strong foundation would be the road to broaden the path for the development of Left and democratic forces. This would further the interests of the mass of the people of India.  

This cannot be nurtured if the Left Front government in Bengal fails to build up its economy in the interest of the mass of the people of the state. To meet the real desire of the people of Bengal, and remoulding its economy, the prime and important task before us, is to strengthen the unity of the Bengal Left Front, on the sound basis of principle of united front tactics. We do realise that our Left Front is less than a party but more than a front.   

Thus, even if we do encounter problems of understanding on any issue, it must be resolved in a realistic manner through discussions. We must learn the correct lesson from the experience of the two United Fronts and the two United Front governments and must not destroy the foundation on which Left unity stands. This should be our pledge on the fortieth anniversary of the first Bengal United Front government.