Bengal’s CM has the looks of a loser – but he talks brave

By Sanjeev Srivastava Buddhadeb Bhattacharya is a man trying very hard to fight obsolescence. After nearly three-and-a-half decades in power, his party faces defeat on May 13. But the West Bengal Chief Minister wants to give the impression that he has not thrown in the towel – yet. But his back is clearly to the wall. “We know there has been some erosion in people’s confidence in us. We are trying our best to win their trust back,” he intones. But his words have “loser” written all over them. He says a section of the middle class, particularly the young and the more affluent amongst them, no longer identifies with the policies of the Left Front. [caption id=“attachment_5811” align=“alignleft” width=“380” caption=“West Bengal Chief Minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee might find it tough to retain his position. Mamata Banerjee’s Trinamool Congress may form the new government. Jayanta Shaw/Reuters”]  [/caption] “They think we are not intelligent and modern enough to fulfill their aspirations. But the rural poor are still with us. They know what we have done for them.” He may be living in the past, though. A journey these last few days through some of the poorest and most backward areas of the state like Durgapur, Purulia and Midnapore indicates that even this fortress of poverty -  so assiduously nurtured by the Communists during their 34-year uninterrupted rule - now looks vulnerable to the seemingly unstoppable Mamata Banerjee juggernaut. Unless the CPI(M) cadre and their legendary organisational prowess pulls off an unlikely miracle, it’s difficult to see them combating the slogan of “paribartan”(change) which is reverberating across the state. The slogan has become an end in itself; a single-point agenda in these elections. Buddhadeb accepts that there’s a romance in the slogan of change which is drawing big crowds to Mamata’s public meetings. “But rallies and public meetings don’t win elections. Elections are won or lost on organisational abilities and finally the mood of the people.” People did give an indication of their mood when, in the 2009 parliamentary elections, the Left Front could secure a lead in only 99 out of the 294 state’s assembly segments. The chief minister says it will be wrong to juxtapose parliamentary election results in the present context. The issues are different and so are the stakes. He then goes on to list a number of reasons to support why his government will be re-elected. They all boil down to measures taken by the Left Front since 1977 to benefit the poor, especially land reforms. “When we came to power nearly 55% of the population lived below the poverty line. Today that number is less than 20%. We have re-distributed 13 lakh acres of land since 1977 amongst the landless. In the last 5 years alone 20,000 acres of land has been redistributed.” Then why is the mood swinging against his party, the CPI(M)? Buddhadeb does admit to mistakes on emotive issues like Singur – where the Tatas had been allotted land to build the Nano factory but a people’s movement led by Mamata ousted them. “We should have been more cautious on the issue of land acquisition. There needs to be a uniform model which ensures that fertile land is not taken, a consensus is evolved both on area as well as remunerative prices and a comprehensive rehabilitation package is drawn up.” He also admits to differences in the party about what is the best way forward. “Some advocate a back to the basics approach with concentration on agriculture, health and education in rural areas. Others want a more pragmatic approach with industrialization also being a cornerstone of policy.” The party is also suffering because some state leaders were trying to dominate civil society. The reference is perhaps towards issues like Singur, Nandigram and Lalgarh. The Chief Minister’s last words are revelatory. “Arrogance should be avoided,” he says, but then goes on to claim that “we will definitely come back. And then take more corrective steps.” Brave words from an honest man. But it may be too late for a course correction by then.