Advertisement

The happiest man to emerge from the three-day closed-door meeting of the central committee (CC) of the CPI (M) on Monday, quite easily, was the Chief Minister of West Bengal (WB), Buddhadeb Bhattacharya.

In spite of the mayhem at Nandigram on March 14, the CC, one of the two top decision-making bodies of the party, gave its full support to the beleaguered Bhattacharya, telling him that he should continue, well, full steam, the process of industrialising the state.

Bhattacharya had been facing flak from the ultra left, right and centre since the death of 14 villagers on that violent Nandigram day. Three main allies — CPI, RSP and Forward Bloc — in the nine-party Left Front Government in WB had criticised the CM and had also threatened to quit the Government.

The party, and the CM, had also lost the support of a chunk of intellectuals, who were traditionally Left leaning but had made it clear that they were not part of a Left that had turned against its own base, the poor and the marginalised.

For Bhattacharya, all that must be a part of a slice of dark history now. The CC, sources said, told the CM that industrialisation was the only way for the state to generate employment and that he and his policies were on the right path. In fact, the WB government would soon launch a statewide programme to spread the virtues of industrialisation among people.

The CC members, after discussions, also put the blame of Nandigram on political opponents and not on the fight between those who were pro-agriculture and those for industry.

At the same time, the CC reiterated that on the issue of 'special economic zones' (SEZ), it would wait till the Centre brings in the revised SEZ policy.  The WB government, the CC reiterated, would also not acquire land till the new rehabilitation package for the displaced is put in place.

In fact, party general secretary, Prakash Karat, had recently written that large-scale manufacturing units would be set up in WB to achieve balanced economic development and reverse years of de-industrialisation.

Arguing in favour of big manufacturing units, Karat, said that small and medium manufacturing units are not sufficient to achieve economic growth. "If some argue that small and medium industries are sufficient, the CPI (M) does not agree. Large-scale units, particularly in manufacturing, are necessary," Karat added.

Email author: spatranobis@hindustantimes.com