Buddha woos tribals,Basu steals the show

Even after death,Jyoti Basu was overwhelmingly present during Left Front rally with the CPM patriarchs cutouts,posters and recorded speech making an impressive show.

Even after death,Jyoti Basu was overwhelmingly present during Sundays Left Front rally at Brigade Parade Ground here with the CPM patriarchs cutouts,posters and recorded speech making an impressive show. Almost all Left leaders referred to Basu in their speeches. Forward Bloc leader Ashok Ghose began his address saying,Everybody is here,except Jyoti Basu. Basus cutouts were placed beside the huge dais while many Left workers wore masks resembling Basus face. A song composed on the departed leader was sung at the venue. Some publication brought out special issues on the countrys longest-serving chief minister. A recorded speech of Basu was played at the end of the meeting.

To woo Muslims and tribals before the forthcoming civic polls,Chief Minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee appealed to the communities to support the ruling CPM. I appeal to the tribals. See how tribals in Jharkhand are facing problems. In our state,the living standard of tribals is higher compared to Jharkhand. But a lot remains to be done,and we will do it, he told the rally. He said Kolkata is a symbol of communal harmony. The state is an example of communal harmony for the nation, he said. Accusing the Trinamool Congress of trying to prevent the Left Front government from carrying out pro-people programmes,he said: We want good panchayats and municipalities to serve the people better.

He added that some foreign powers with vested interests had joined hands to thwart the party as these forces dont want the CPM to play a crucial role in Delhi. Left Fronts struggle in West Bengal is 50-year-old. Now,an attempt is on to prevent its growth, Bhattacharjee said. He alleged that the Trinamool was trying to oppose the government and had joined hands with forces like the Maoists and separatist entities like GJM. The CM questioned the role of the Trinamool in combating Maoists. Why is the Trinamool opposing deployment of paramilitary forces at a time when the Centre has announced that it will thwart Maoist activities at any cost? he asked. We have asked the Centre not to increase the prices further of LPG,petrol and diesel, he added. PTI

GJM threatens stir if talks date not announced

KOLKATA: With the Centre failing to announce any date for political talks on the issue of Gorkhaland within the stipulated 45 days,the Gorkha Janmukti Morcha GJM,spearheading the movement for the separate state,on Sunday announced that it would go for home rule by driving out the District Magistrate and Superintendent of Police from the hills if the central government did not respond positively to its demands.

We received feelers that by February 9 or 10,the Centre would inform us about the next date. I expect that both Chief Minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee and Union Home Minister P Chidambaram will be present at the meeting. I will also be at that meeting where I will offer a formula which should be acceptable to all. But if no positive response comes,we will start home rule in the hills and as a first step we will drive out both the DM and SP, GJM president Bimal Gurung told a rally at Kalimpong. Four other rallies were organised at other places of Darjeeling district in which similar announcements were made.

In the fourth round of tripartite talks between the GJM,Centre and state held in Darjeeling on December 21 last year,the GJM had demanded that the next round of talks should be on a political level. Union Home Secretary G K Pillai,who represented the central government,said the GJM would be informed about the next round of talks within 45 days.

The deadline expired last week but the Centre is yet to make any announcement. When contacted,Pillai told The Indian Express that the issue would be decided at a meeting of the Cabinet Committee on Political Affairs which would be held very soon. ENS