There is no denying that the vestige of Bengal Renaissance a movement by the Bengalis characterized by a social awakening in the field of art, culture and intellect which questioned the orthodox rituals and customs prevailing in the society, has played the crucial role in positioning the psyche of the people to abhor the rightist ideology and perception.

This has been the reason that Marxists ruled West Bengal for 34 years as the people were unwilling to repose their trust even in the liberal and centrist Congress. But the saddest aspect of the leftist rule has been the Marxist leadership abjectly failed to indoctrinate its rank of the Marxist teaching and ideology. In the last phase of Left rule, corruption was rampant among the members and the party leadership lacked that ideological moral fervour to challenge the emerging Mamata Banerjee.

In Bihar too the rightist forces could not succeed earlier in making a major dent as the state had witnessed left organised agrarian struggle. Like Bengal in Bihar too the left failed to hold its ground as it did not indoctrinate its rank ideologically and politically and simply used the support base for electoral purposes. If the backward castes and poor in Bihar looked towards Mandal politics as the liberating ideology, the intermediate castes and Namashudras in Bengal were inspired by the same ideological factor. An insight into the success of the Operation Barga would reveal that this section of the rural population was the effective beneficiary of this scheme launched by the Left Front Government soon after coming to power in 1977.

Economic empowerment of the intermediate castes and poor took place but the process utterly lacked the element of political enabling. No effort was made by the Marxist leadership to make aware the common people of the political teachings. Though Bengal acquired the image of red bastion, it was only on the paper. The weak ideological commitment of the cadres was evident when in 2011 thousands of these cadres deserted the left parties and joined the Trinamool Congress. Attempts were made to justify this by saying that they shifted their loyalty out of fear of reprisal. But this was absolutely untenable and lacked rationale. They shifted their loyalty for material gains and enjoying power.

Once again shift was noticed just before the 2019 Lok Sabha election when thousands of left cadres unable to face the tyranny and oppression of the TMC, joined the BJP. Their inability to withstand the alleged terror and repression by the TMC underlined that at some level they were not ideologically well equipped to resist and fight. Once again the lust for power and government patronage were the motivating factors.

Ironically the CPIM) leadership in Bengal did not allow friendly criticism of the state government functioning by other parties of the left. Their main contention was the partners must refrain from criticising the Left Front government. . Any one opposing the Left Front government was depicted as anti- Left Even the CPI(ML) Liberation which criticised the Left Front was described as anarchist. The CPI(M) refused to have any kind of understanding with it. The averseness of the CPI(M) towards the CPI(ML) was visible even during the 2021 assembly elections. It outright rejected the CPI(ML) suggestion to consider BJP as the main enemy in the 2021 assembly polls. The state CPIM) during campaign focused more against the Trinamool rather than the BJP. The party ignored the growing sentiments against the BJP among the common left masses.

The CPI(M) has even evolved a theory 'Beejemul' implying the combination of BJP and Trinamool. The use of slogans like ‘Beejemul’ and assertions that the BJP and Trinamool were two sides of the same coin created confusion during the time of the election. It was this stand of the state leadership that witnessed the CPI(M) failing even to win one seat. This has been the most deplorable and disappointing performance of the CPI(M).in Bengal.

It is encouraging that the left leadership has been trying to rectify its past mistakes. Though they have fielded young faces in the election, the latest move has been on to entrust with the task of making effective intervention in the running and policy framing. The rectification programme “Post-election situation and our work”, examines several subjects such as the slide in the party’s support base, Trinamool’s success in defeating anti-incumbency and the need to develop a strong organisation up to the booth level.

This is for the first time that senior leaders have openly started expressing that old guards must make room for the younger leaders and all the political lines that have been adopted since 2006 have proved wrong. A general impression that has been gripping the party rank is the old leaders have lost touch with the ground realities. These old leaders had blamed the TMC of entering into a “got-up” game with the BJP. But now the reviw shows that “Beejemul” theory had inflicted massive damage to the party leading o historic washout.

The CPI(M) leaders are naturally worried at the sustained decline of the traditional support base of the left. CPI(M)’s vote share was a pitiful 4.70 per cent in 2021 assembly poll less than a tenth that of Trinamool which, of course, contested 289 seats compared to the CPI(M)’s’ 139. They argue that having alliance with the Congress also proved to be counterproductive. Leadership’s desperate attempt to salvage the situation by nominating younger leaders also failed to catch the imagination of the people. In most of the constituencies these youth leaders finished a distant third.

The CPI(M) leadership ought to realise that a left and democratic front including CPI(ML) Liberation has to act unitedly and it must bring all other anti-BJP parties within the broad front of opposition .Both the Congress and Trinamool will have to be the part of that opposition grouping. A beginning has been made but the Left has to be more pro active in harnessing the process of unity. (IPA Service)