If the Lefts wants to survive and regain their lost glory, they must shed their narrow ideological baggage and adopt fresh ideas. “The Forward Bloc as well as the Left Front should not stick to its anachronistic ideological polemics. It must adopt changes in the changing political scenario, albeit not at the cost of socialism, the ultimate destination
of the Lefts,” said Jayanta Roy, the newly-inducted state secretariat member of the Forward Bloc on Wednesday.
Mr Roy was addressing the Foundation Day of the Bloc where it was formally merged with Janabadi Forward Bloc (JFB). Significantly, Mr Roy who had once been the number two in the state party hierarchy but later turned a dissident and formed the JFB, was given back his past position in the party state secretariat. Sources revealed that he is likely to become the next chief of the state party after present state secretary Ashok Ghosh retires.
Pointing out that the debacles of the Lefts was due to “the alienation of the people from the Left Front”, Mr Roy said: “What we need only at this juncture is introspection of the past.” The life-style of a Left leader should be a model to the party workers, Mr Roy added.
Earlier, party general secretary Debabrata Biswas gave a call for a “reorientation” of the party as well as the Left Front.
He added that a new Left, pursuing a different programme, will resurface.