The Marxist journey of 'Brand Buddha' Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee
Times of India | 8 August 2024
NEW DELHI: Former West Bengal chief minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee, a Marxist leader, passed away at his Kolkata home on Thursday at the age of 80.
Renowned for his pragmatic approach, Bhattacharjee set aside ideological convictions to promote industrialisation in his state but will also be remembered for witnessing the end of the 34-year-old Left Front regime in West Bengal in 2011.
Bhattacharjee actively sought to revitalize Bengal's economy by attracting investors and big capital to set up industries, aiming to generate employment opportunities for the youth.
As a result, he pushed hard to change his party's anti-industry image. Despite being a member of the CPI(M)'s powerful Politburo he publicly criticized the politics of 'bandh' or strikes, traditionally used by Left parties to protest various issues.
His stance drew both praise and criticism, both within and outside his party.
The ambition for rapid industrialisation became his and the CPI(M)'s downfall, as Mamata Banerjee's TMC capitalized on anti-land acquisition protests to unseat the Left Front in 2011, sidelining the communists in state politics.
Born in north Kolkata on March 1, 1944, Bhattacharjee hailed from a scholarly family.
His grandfather, Krishnachandra Smrititirtha, was a Sanskrit scholar and author of a handbook for priests.
Bhattacharjee was a distant nephew of the renowned Bengali poet Sukanta Bhattacharya and was known to be a prolific writer himself often quoting Rabindranath Tagore.
Leading a spartan life, Bhattacharjee resided in his two-room government flat on Palm Avenue during and after his tenure as chief minister.
After graduating from Presidency College in Bengali, he briefly worked as a teacher before fully committing to politics, joining CPI(M) in the mid-1960s.
Promode Dasgupta, a veteran leader, mentored him along with Biman Bose, Anil Biswas, Subhas Chakraborty and Shyamal Chakraborty.
He was first elected to the Assembly in 1977 from the Cossipore constituency and became the information and culture minister in the first Left Front government at the age of 33 under Jyoti Basu.
Bhattacharjee earned acclaim for promoting Bengali culture, theatre, literature, and quality films, and played a crucial role in establishing 'Nandan' - the film and cultural centre in Kolkata.
Bhattacharjee lost his seat in the 1982 elections, prompting him to shift his constituency to Jadavpur, returning to the state cabinet in 1987.
In 1993, he resigned from the cabinet abruptly following allegations of rude behaviour with a bureaucrat, leading him to withdraw from active politics and write a play, 'Dushshamai' (Bad Times).
The CPI(M), facing strong anti-incumbency and searching for Jyoti Basu's successor, reintegrated Bhattacharjee into the state cabinet initially as the state home minister.
Within three years, he assumed the role of deputy chief minister and succeeded Basu as chief minister in November 2000.
In 2001, he led the Left Front to victory in the state assembly polls and initiated ambitious initiatives for rapid industrialisation.
Setting aside his ideological beliefs, he sought to attract investors and curb the flight of capital from Bengal. Despite being a Politburo member, Bhattacharjee did not hesitate to criticize CITU, the party's trade union wing, for calling strikes and bandhs.
The step was well-received by the public, and the Left Front enjoyed a resounding victory in the 2006 assembly polls. Bhattacharjee's persistent efforts for industrialisation earned him the nickname 'Brand Buddha', a testament to his government's developmental initiatives.
"His greatest feat was attracting Tata Motors to establish a small car plant at Singur, a fertile agricultural area not far from the city," but this move faced significant opposition from farmers, a key Left parties' vote bank.
It became one of the primary reasons for the decline of the Marxist government.
His tenure also saw significant turmoil due to the movement at Nandigram. Under the leadership of Mamata Banerjee, agitation against the acquisition of farmland for an SEZ eroded the Left Front's vote bank.
An incident on March 14, 2007, where police fired on protestors leading to the death of 14 people, further complicated matters for the Marxists.
"His failure to take decisive action to end Banerjee's sit-in near the proposed small car plant at Singur too went against him and led to Tata's departure from the industry-starved state in January 2008."
Bhattacharjee's career demonstrates a complex blend of ideological flexibility and a pragmatic approach to governance.
He leaves behind his wife and a daughter, who has declared herself to be undergoing a gender change. Bhattacharjee's legacy will be remembered both for his achievements and the eventual decline of the Left Front in West Bengal.