The difference between the hardcore, dyed-in-the-wool faction in the CPI-M and the followers of the liberal line first became evident before the 2016 West Bengal Assembly polls over an alliance with Congress against ruling Trinamool Congress.
That difference became even more blatant in the 57th anniversary celebration programme of the party organ in Bengali, Ganashakti, here on Tuesday evening.
Delivering his address on the occasion, former party leader Prakash Karat, known to be representing the hardliners, did not even utter a single word about the current Trinamool Congress-led state government or Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee.
Rather, Karat's speech harped on international issues like the recent developments in Brazil and Italy. Besides the reference on international issues during his one- hour long speech, the former party General Secretary emphasised on how the BJP became successful in exploiting its "Hindutva" agenda in the recent Gujarat Assembly elections, undermining the general grievances of common people about the "anti-people" policies of the Union government.
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The study in contrast in the same function was the party Politburo member and state Secretary, Mohammad Salim, known to be representing the liberal faction. He did not mince words in launching a scathing attack against the West Bengal government and the ruling Trinamool Congress while speaking from the same dais.
"The polls for the three-tier panchayat system were started by the previous Left Front government, which was the foundation stone for the idea of bringing the civic amenities to the rural doorsteps. Now the present state government is creating a gimmick out of that. We remember that in the previous rural civic body polls in 2018, how our women candidates were heckled and assaulted when they went for filing nominations. But 2023 will not be the same as 2018," Salim said.
He also referred to nonagenarian Indian Marxists and longest-serving West Bengal Chief Minister Jyoti Basu. "Marxists do not deliver hollow promises. Jyoti Basu taught us that we should promise what we can deliver. We only can deliver the alternative. We will have to tun the dreams of people into a reality," Salim said.
