More than anything else, Basu's SOS underscores the desperation within left ranks, which seem reconciled to the idea that they will sit in the opposition after the Assembly polls in 2011. It is not just the party's prestige and credibility that are at stake, Basu's plea also marks the worst personal humiliation suffered by one of the proudest political leaders in the country. Observers recall the innumerable occasions when Basu , in the most scathing language, rubbished the Congress in and out of the house, going out of his way to needle its leaders, in his prime. “A party of illiterate anti-socials, scoundrels“ were among the kinder descriptions of the Congress (I) from Basu. Political hubris will always get its comeuppance, and it is a pity that Basu had to learn this in his nineties!

Signs of confusion within the Bengal CPI(M) are apparent at every turn. At the administrative level, Finance Minister Ashim Dasgupta has just announced yet another hefty pay and allowance increase for several lakhs of government employees and promised confirmation of thousands of temporary staff. Speaking in public, Chief Minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee and party secretary Biman Bose have urged the members and supporters to observe restraint and patience in the present situation.

At the grassroot level though, a different situation prevails. Leaders like Minister Sushanta Ghosh, and ex-MP Anil Basu (suspected of involvement in a murder case) have threatened to fight fire with fire, matching Mamata Banerjee or Partha Chatterjee of the Trinamool Congress word for word in bellicosity. They have not been disciplined by the party.

In the process, normal life has been affected in the state in this politics of confrontation. There is frequent disruption of work and public transport, political killings have gone up alarmingly, incidents of arson and mass attacks have proliferated. A pathetically weak administration has simply watched the situation, abdicating its constitutional role, in the absence of any direction from its political masters now running for cover.

There is no doubt that the CPI(M) has decided to play “a more assertive role” (read “ a more violent role”) in the state from now on, facing the opposition challenge. A senior party leader of Howrah told this writer,” If we have to lose, it is better to go down fighting. Our patient non-violent approach during the Singur and Nandigram incidents did not win people over to our side. Do not think that just because we are losing one election after another, that we will not fight the opposition blow for blow in the assembly elections. If this means violence, so be it.”

Proof that he was not just sounding off in anger was amply provided by the party's aggressive attacks on TMC supporters at Khanakul in Hooghly and Nanur in Birbhum districts, within days. Shots were fired in anger, houses were set ablaze, many people were injured, as once more the ruling party and the opposition held the state to ransom. The police might not simply exist.

Ironically, the one area where the mighty CPI(M) failed to counter the violence of its political enemies the Maoists,, were the tribal pockets of West Midnapore, Purulia and Bankura districts. Party leaders claim that nearly 40 of their cadres were killed by Maoists, after some of them were paraded publicly in sackcloth and ashes. Yet, for all the bluster of Sushanta Ghosh, the CPI(M) has not been able to hit back at all.

In fact party leaders gave up spending nights in these areas in their offices or homes some years ago, retreating to the relative safety of east Midnapore, or Kolkata. The biggest left party in India on paper failed miserably in protecting its own cadre and supporters faced by a “hard” adversary like the Maoists. Its own image of a “hard” adversary vis-a-vis the Trinamool Congress or the Congress became irrelevant in the context of its virtual abandonment of the tribal belt to the left extremists.

But for unexpected reverses, the opposition expects to sweep all 10 Assembly seats in the coming by-elections. As it is, the opposition holds 7 of these seats, so the ruling Left Front was anyway up against it. Fearing a total rout, Bhattacharjee sounded a caution to party members at a gathering in Howrah.

“Whether we like it or not, a change (“paribartan” in Bengali) is occurring in West Bengal.. We are also learning, we find that we have been doing what we should not have done, and failed to do what we should have been doing…” is the burden of what he said.

Self-critical, wise words, no doubt, but the people are not really impressed. Worse, even his own party ranks are not listening, let alone the RSP, the CPI or the Forward Bloc. All these parties have promptly distanced themselves publicly from Basu's appeal to the Congress and criticised him. Expectedly, the Congress reminded Basu that it was his party that had withdrawn support at the Centre over the Indo-US deal, thanks to its central leadership. And the rest is history. (IPA)