The Hindu : Kerala / Thiruvananthapuram News : United in honouring Basu

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Thursday, Jan 21, 2010
ePaper | Mobile/PDA Version

Kerala

Kerala - Thiruvananthapuram

United in honouring Basu

Special Correspondent

— Photo: C. Ratheesh kumar

Tributes to a doyen: Chief Minister V.S. Achuthanandan addresses a meeting organised by the CPI(M) district committee in Thiruvananthapuram on Wednesday to mourn the death of party leader Jyoti Basu.

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Paying glowing tributes to former West Bengal Chief Minister Jyoti Basu, who died on Sunday, Chief Minister V. S. Achuthanandan described him as the greatest revolutionary of contemporary times who was also the architect of the Left and democratic alternative in the country.

Speaking at a condolence meeting organised by the CPI(M) district committee here on Wednesday, Mr. Achuthananandan also pointed out that Jyoti Basu was able to create a model of Left governance that withstood the adversities that Communism had faced in erstwhile Soviet Union in the late eighties. Although born in an aristocratic family, Jyoti Basu had dedicated his life to the cause of the working class, the Chief Minister said.

Recalling his long association with Jyoti Basu from 1958, Mr. Achuthanandan said they came together as members of the national council of the undivided Communist Party.

The party had subsequently split over the question of the approach to be taken to the Indo-China conflict of 1962. They were part of the 32 persons who walked out of the CPI national council leading to the formation of the CPI(M). Jyoti Basu went on to become a major campaigner against the autocratic tendencies of the Siddharth Sankar Ray government and later the Emergency and led the CPI(M) to victory in the 1977 elections.

Earlier, CPI State secretary Veliyam Bhargavan said that the generation of leaders to which Jyoti Basu belonged sacrificed their all for the cause of national freedom and the emancipation of the downtrodden. Former Union Minister and BJP leader O. Rajagopal said Jyoti Basu displayed tremendous amount of pragmatism, remained fully wedded to his convictions and won the respect of even his adversaries. He was a disciplined party worker to the core, but also the courage to have his say whenever he deemed fit to do, Mr. Rajagopal said.

Home Minister and CPI(M) Polit Bureau member Kodiyeri Balakrishnan noted that Jyoti Basu’s readiness to go by the party decision not to accept the offer of becoming the Prime Minister of the country was exemplary.

Ever the party man

Even as Chief Minister, he made it a point to drop in at the State party headquarters before going to his office everyday, thereby setting a laudable example for every Communist leader, Mr. Balakrishnan said.

Congress leader Thalekkunnil Basheer said Jyoti Basu was a committed public activist whose personality transcended his political identity.

Printer friendly page
Send this article to Friends by E-Mail

Kerala

News Update

Stories in this Section