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Friday, Jul 09, 2004

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Heroes from West Bengal

By Malabika Bhattacharya

Flowers for Jyoti Basu on his 91st birthday in Kolkata on Thursday. — PTI

KOLKATA, JULY 8. Two of Bengal's heroes, quite dissimilar in terms of age, vocation and outlook, were together centre-stage today by virtue of their birthday falling on the day.

The leader of the Communist Party of India (Marxist), Jyoti Basu, one of the country's seniormost politicians, turned 91.

And the Indian cricket captain, Sourav Ganguly, stepped into his 32nd year. The occasion presented the legions of their admirers — many of whom root for both — with an opportunity to organise celebrations and send bouquets, sweets and other gifts to Mr. Basu's residence at Salt Lake and to the captain's sprawling home at Behala.

At the latter, gun-toting security personnel open the gates only to those who have prior clearance to enter.

For Mr. Basu, the early callers were the Congress president, Sonia Gandhi, and the Prime Minister, Manmohan Singh, both wishing him a long life. Many other prominent persons from different fields either telephoned or called on him.

As has been the practice, Pather Panchhali (named after Bibhutibhushan Bandopadhyay's novel which was the basis of Satyajit Ray's first film of the same title), a social organisation run by Romola, the wife of the West Bengal Transport Minister, Subhash Chakraborty, staged a short and interesting ballet.

Ninety-one roses were presented by a few hundred children. "We don't encourage birthday celebrations of party functionaries. The only exception is the birthday of Muzzaffar Ahmed (Kakababu), which is an official event. But I cannot turn away the children who have come to wish me," Mr. Basu said.

Mr. Basu, who has friends and well-wishers across the political-social spectrum, received innumerable telephone calls since Wednesday. "We understand that many people want to speak to him because he has always shared their feelings," said Joykrishna Ghosh, Mr. Basu's assistant.

Mr. Basu, who lost his wife, Kamal, two years ago, spent the evening with his son, grandchild and a few friends over dinner in a city hotel.

In a recent conversation with The Hindu , Mr. Basu, when reminded of the approaching birthday, went back in time and recounted his induction into active politics way back in 1940 when he had just returned to India from England after his initiation into Communism between 1936 and 1939 under the guidance of Harry Polit, Rajani Palme Dutt and others from the British Communist Party.

"I am indebted to the British Communist Party for the perspective it gave me on human struggles," he said.

He started as a young trade union leader, and was elected to the Bengal Assembly in 1946. He was a member of the Assembly for over 40 years, except during the period 1972-77. During that period, the Left parties had kept away from the Assembly in protest against electoral malpractices by the Congress.

He vacated the office of Chief Minister of West Bengal in October 2000 after heading five Left Front Governments over a period of 23 years. "I am happy about two things: the BJP is out of office and our Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee is doing very well."

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