People's Democracy
(Weekly Organ of the Communist Party of India (Marxist)
No.
26
June 28, 2009
|
Vol. XXXIII
No.
26 June 28, 2009 |
THE Bengal Left Front has
appealed to the mass of the
people, the democratically-conscious citizens of Bengal to come out
protesting strongly,
widely the manner in which the democratic fabric of the polity was
sought to be
destroyed by the marauding criminals of the Trinamul Congress, its
allies, the
Pradesh Congress, and the self-styled �Maoists.�
The Bengal Left Front met on the
morning of June 17,
2009 at the Muzaffar Ahmad Bhavan. Subsequently briefing the media,
Biman Basu,
chairman, Bengal Left Front, said that right after the outcome of the
Lok Sabha
election was known, the forces of anarchism and disorder started a
violence-laden campaign of blood-letting of the CPI(M) and the Left
Front
workers, all over Bengal. The Pradesh Congress forms an energetic actor
in some
districts in this completely condemnable exercise against the masses.
The Left Front
has called upon peace-loving denizens to come out with strong protests
against
the killings, the arson, the molestation, and the pillage.
Forgetting � in a gesture filled
with inhumanity � the
terrible cyclonic storm and lashing rain that affected the coastal
districts of
Bengal the most, the Bengal opposition stood as one in their
self-proclaimed
�punishment� mode of the people, and of the CPI(M) which has remained
as ever
in the van of the people�s movement for their hard-earned, hard-fought
democratic rights.
Biman noted that it was the
belief of the Left Front
that in the manner and intensity that mark the attack on the democratic
masses,
the CPI(M), and the Left Front constituents, �we are reminded of the
semi-fascist terror of the 1970s.� The
Left Front has been in office for the past 32+ years.
There has never been a single incident where the
people who have not voted for the Left Front have been subjected to
heinous
attacks including killing, arson, looting, and plundering.
The rights and the dignity of
the opposition and of their
supporters are held sacrosanct in
Between 1970 and 1977, Biman
recalled, 1200 CPI(M)
workers including the state committee member Jiban Maity, along with
the senior
Forward Bloc leader Hemanta Basu were killed, and killed brutally.
Twenty thousand
families of CPI(M) workers and supporters had to flee from their
residences,
indeed from the localities of their livelihoods as well, for
agonisingly,
frighteningly long periods of time.
The historic election of 1977
witnessed the defeat and
d�b�cle and in a comprehensive manner,
of the authoritarian, anti-people forces. On the day the final outcome
of the assembly
election was known, the late Bengal CPI(M) secretary, Comrade Promode
Dasgupta,
and the much-respected Party leader, Jyoti Basu issued appeals
repeatedly to
the people that they should never-ever be vengeful on the criminals of
1970-1977. As a consequence, no violence
was seen in the
post-polls days, weeks, months, and years.
The contrary has been allowed by
the worthies of the
opposition to happen this time around.
The opposition leadership would mutter the word �peace,� but
they,
including central ministers, would provoke their followers by declaring
frequently that nobody would be allowed to remain in
An ugly attempt is essayed to
pass off as �popular
rage,� the carefully, coolly, planned assaults on the people. Assassinations are orchestrated, and it is
unfortunate, most unfortunate indeed, Biman declared, that a section of
the
media, a pillar of democracy, was found gleeful in shamelessly
supporting the
attacks and the killings and the arson and the brigandage.
The Left Front appealed to the
forces, including
sections of media, that were �encouraged� at the de novo
rise of neo-fascism in the state to desist from supporting
these dark forces for that would ultimately harm everyone in Bengal.
The Left will mend their ways
whenever found necessary
as always, but, declared Biman, �we shall never bow low before
aggression.� �We,� continued the Left
Front chairman, �may
suffer from being killed brutally, but we shall always remain with the
people,
fighting for their democratic rights.�
The neo-fascist attacks might
have started as a drive
against the communists and the Left movement, but it would inevitably
spread
its fangs and talons over the general democratic rights of the people,
over
their lives and livelihoods, over their honour and dignity, and finally
over
their social security.
The Left Front also called upon
the state
administration to take appropriate executive steps to maintain peace in
(B P)
