Party stands by Buddha, gets restive allies to fall in line

They got neither today. Instead, they had to settle for a compromise: a freeze on SEZs only in Nandigram and an expression of regret, not apology — a reaffirmation of the Chief Minister’s line.

This script was drafted last night with substantial help from party patriarch and former Chief Minister Jyoti Basu who was entrusted with the job of finding a solution to the crisis within the Front.

Basu summoned Ashok Ghosh, all-India secretary of the Forward Bloc, to his Salt Lake residence in the evening. Ghosh, 83, a longstanding comrade of Basu’s, was one of the most strident critics of the police firing in Nandigram and had even threatened that his ministers would quit the Cabinet. Biman Bose, the Left Front chairman and the CPI(M) state secretary, was also called in along with Industries Minister Nirupam Sen to work out the compromise formula. Sources said Basu expressed his resentment over the manner in which the Left partners had “opened their mouths in such a sensitive situation” and how they effectively echoed Mamata Banerjee.

At today’s meeting, Bhattacharjee is said to have remarked that he took “full responsibility” for the “tragic and unfortunate” event in Nandigram. “I did not expect such bloodshed. I was given a wrong assessment and did not expect such stiff opposition,” Bhattacharjee is said to have told the Front members.

The formula worked out:

• The Left Front will be run according to declared and approved policies: In the last Left Front manifesto, the greatest thrust was on industrialisation. In other words, Bhattacharjee’s policy stays on track.

• The level of police deployment in Nandigram will be reduced in phases: This was anyway on the cards after police reclaimed large parts of the area. But raids are on and there are still pockets of resistance, neighbourhoods out of the bounds of the police.

• The state government will not acquire any land for industry in Nandigram: The allies had wanted a freeze across the state but agreed to this statement which is an echo of what Bhattacharjee has been saying — that the chemical hub will be shifted if “people don’t want it” in Nandigram.

• Left Front meetings will be held more regularly: Now they are held once a month.

• Front partners agree that the LF was united and will remain united: a climbdown from the public stand of the allies.

• More discussions on various crucial issues.

• No Cabinet member will speak against any minister in the open: Kshiti Goswami of RSP and CPI’s Nandagopal Bhattacharjee had been openly criticizing Chief Minister, they have been asked to stop.

• Nandigram incident is tragic and the government will be alert against the recurrence of any such incident: The allies had wanted the CM to “condemn” the incident.

Veteran CPM leader Benoy Konar, a leader of the Krishak Sabha, who attended the meeting said that Nandigram would have a fall-out but that could be overcome. Speaking to The Sunday Express, he said there was “absolutely no political risk in pursuing the policy of industrialization” as envisaged by Bhattacharjee.

“We have the confidence that we will ultimately have the people’s support for industrialisation. But it is true the Nandigram episode will slow down the process a bit. We had created a positive environment for industry. A wrong signal has certainly reached the investors in the present context. But we will overcome that,” he said.

Governor Gandhi corrects: I have faith in Buddha leadership

Two days after he shot off a note expressing “a sense of cold horror” at the death of 14 people in police firing in Nandigram and provoked criticism for over-stepping his mandate, West Bengal Governor Gopalkrishna Gandhi seemed to nuance his statement.

Calling for inclusive growth, he said: “I have faith that the state, under the leadership of Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee, will establish the balance between traditional methods of employment and development.” Addressing a gathering at the inaugural function of Bengal Ambuja’s housing project, Gandhi singled out for praise Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru’s first Five-year plan. “Let no one seek to divorce the people from development. The two go hand in hand,” he said.