While a major section of the party is still undecided how far to go in supporting Ghosh, for the sake of public consumption, the party has announced total support for him.

For those who may not know, Ghosh has been charged with arranging the killing of seven people, believed to be Trinamool Congress (TMC) supporters, in West Midnapore in September 2002. Seven skeletons of those killed were discovered after local people at Garbeta, emboldened by the election victory of the TMC, reported their harrowing experience at the time, blaming CPI(M) goons for the murder and subsequent burial of bodies. DNA tests confirmed that at least two TMC victims were killed, remains of their clothes etc having been identified by the son of one of them.

Ghosh, who has won from Garbeta in 2011, prayed for anticipatory bail as the investigations progressed, fearing arrest. When he failed, he went into hiding. Following the DNA tests, the CID decided to arrest him for questioning immediately.

With political passions rising, angry TMC supporters have demonstrated against Ghosh whenever he has been produced in the district court. The police had to protect him. His opponents describe him as the “butcher of Garbeta,” accusing him of other crimes and murders.

In fact, skeletons have been recovered after the elections in several areas of Midnapore district, which had seen armed clashes between supporters of the two parties until a few years ago. Eventually, the CPI(M), with help from an inactive administration, decimated all opposition physically. Ghosh played a leading role. Two henchmen, Tapan Ghosh and Sukur Ali, both arrested for their violent activities, were believed to be involved in mass killings and a massive import of illegal arms and ammunition. Currently, Tapan and Sukur are hiding to evade arrest.

Mass graves apart,, the police have recovered major quantities of arms and ammunition in their raids, shocking liberal opinion in the state. No one knows to this day exactly how many people were killed by CPI(M) goons, simply because they did not support the ruling party.

Parallels have been drawn between what had happened under the Dictator Pol Pot in Cambodia and the Midnapore incidents. The role of Chief minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee and the state police have been condemned universally.

Even as CID officers interrogated him, Ghosh stonewalled them, pleading sickness. He was taken to the ICU of a major Kolkata hospital, where he was found without any major problems. He threatened to begin a hunger strike, following Anna Harare’s example to get political mileage. While not co-operating with the official inquiries, he was not above hectoring his interrogators.

No wonder the episode gets saturation coverage in the print and electronic media in West Bengal. This is the first case where a prominent leader accused of major crimes has been proceeded against legally. The Government has set up six commissions of inquiry to reopen and probe old cases of political murders and other excesses committed by the CPI(M) during its tenure. With eye witnesses coming forward to help the police and testify against those guilty, left leaders find themselves cornered.

The desperation of the CPI(M) to preserve its ranks has been seen in the way Bhattacharjee , of all people, supported Ghosh at a rally recently. The former Chief Minister within party circles never concealed his distaste for Ghosh and his strongarm ways. In fact along with Lakshman Sett, Subhas Chakravarty and other leaders known for their unorthodox ways, Ghosh was among those whom Bhattacharjee had always ignored pointedly. Obviously the narrow interests of party politics prevented him from taking any action.

Yet the same Bhattacharjee has publicly declared that the state government was only harassing Ghosh out of vindictiveness. “He is being penalized for some people who had died somewhere”, he said with intended callousness.

Naturally, his brazenness, not least because as the Chief Minister it was his primary duty to protect people, not kill them or shield their killers, shocked even people who earlier stood by him.

Among its allies, the CPI(M) has not received much support. There could be no discussion about Ghosh at the last left front meeting because of differences within the constituents. The RSP, taking a more independent line since the elections, has declared that it does not regard the action taken against Ghosh as “vindictive” in nature, compounding the CPI(M)’s woes.

As observers explain, faced with the post-poll depletion in its ranks, the CPI(M) has no choice but to stand by people like Ghosh and their followers. In many districts, cadres are unable to keep their offices open. An exodus to the TMC at lower levels continues. Party dissidents have virtually moved away.

Therefore, if even the militant sections within the ranks do not get support from the party as they come under pressure from the State government, there could well be a revolt within the CPI(M), or the exodus could assume mass proportions.

Totally shaken by recent developments, undecided about its future course of action and fearing mass desertions, the CPI(M) chose discretion was the better part of valour. It decided to support its black sheep.

This is not new, incidentally. A few years ago, when residents of Midnapore were seething in anger against Tapan and Sukur, State Secretary Biman Bose, in total contempt of prevailing public opinion, had described them as “assets of the left.” Further comments are unnecessary. (IPA Service)