Maverick Marxist leader Subhas Chakraborty who was often chided in his life time for his acts of defiance by the central party bosses, has emerged, even after his death, as a rallying point for the anti-Karat section of the Bengal unit of the CPI(M).
In a clear bid to cock a snook on party general secretary Prakash Karat, Subhas loyalist (who are also Jyoti Basu followers) have invited former Lok Sabha Speaker Somnath Chatterjee to release the documentary film on Subhas’ life on his first death anniversary.
State committee member Tarit Topdar will preside over the programme where party state secretary Biman Bose and chief minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee have also been invited.
Sources revealed, the state party mandarins who were initially reluctant to observe the death anniversary of Subhas (party Red book also does not allow any birth or death anniversary of leaders) gave in to the demand of a section of district leaders who wanted to utilise the day to kill two birds with one stone.
First of all, the leaders believe that the name of Subhas or a programme on him who had been a leader of the masses in his life and had become a “brand” of Communist politics in the mould of Jyoti Basu might give a boost to the stooping morale of the party ranks. Secondly, the Karat-baiters in the party who still feel that the Congress is still a lesser enemy, this would also help to mark a mute Communist protest against the copybook party line of Democratic Centralism.
“Had he been alive, Subhasda would have protested the anti-Congress party line as imposed upon us by Mr Karat,” a state committee member said.
“Somnathda may be dethroned by the party boss only to satisfy his ego but he still remains very much with us. Really, he is the right person to release the documentary on the en fant terrible of the party,” quipped a party secretariat member.