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Journalism of Courage
Trinamool Congress chief and Railway Minister Mamata Banerjee on Saturday paid an impromptu visit to Jyoti Basus Salt Lake residence,spending about 20 minutes with the ailing Communist leader. The 94-year-old Basu congratulated Mamata on her electoral victory in the Lok Sabha.
I will not be there to watch the next election. But you should certainly carry on with your politics. My best wishes are with you, Basu told Mamata. Mamata,on her part,conveyed her respects to the leader and prayed for his speedy recovery. She was accompanied by MP Mukul Roy and Trinamool Congress general secretary Partho Chattarjee.
Though Mamatas visit was said to be a courtesy call,there was no missing the message of the politically correct move. On a daily basis,Mamata has been pointing fingers at Basus successor Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee,accusing him of losing the moral high ground to rule the state after his partys humiliating defeat in the general elections. She has also termed the Left Front governments cyclone relief efforts as highly partisan and miserably inadequate. Meanwhile,her MPs have launched an offensive against CPI(M) party cadres in East Midnapore.
Coming out of Basus house,Banerjee told mediapersons: I wanted to talk politics with Basu. But the presence of someone inside his room prevented me. I simply wished him a speedy recovery… I admire Jyoti Basu,his health is better and therefore I decided to meet him.
It was Ramola Chakraborty,wife of the State Transport Minister Subhas Chakraborty,who was present inside Basus room. She left only after Mamatas departure. Ramola,when contacted,said she did not know about Mamatas visit as it was unscheduled. As Basus personal secretary is on leave she has been visiting him at least twice a day,she said,adding that she just happened to be in the room when Mamata came in.
Mamata last visited Basu on June 5,2007,to discuss Nandigram and Singur on the latters invitation. She was initially able to convince Basu that her stand on returning Singur land to unwilling farmers had some logic behind it. Basu had even urged his party comrades to see if Mamatas demands could be accommodated.
Significantly,Mamatas visit comes a day after Prakash Karat met Basu at the end of the two-day CPI(M) state committee meeting. What transpired between Karat and Basu is not known,but what is an open secret within the party is the differences between the two leaders on the withdrawal of support to the UPA Government.
