Basu bids adieu to Writers’ Buildings

The octogenerian Chief Minister was also given a reception by the CPI-M-Backed Coordination Committee at the same place outside the central gate of the secretariat, where he was ushered in on June 20, 1977.

Basu, who joined the Communist party way back in 1940, said he had stepped down from office as he could not do justice as Chief Minister of a state like West Bengal because of his failing health, but said he was not quitting politics.

"I will continue to be a politburo member of the party and work for the state unit as well. I will discharge my duties till my last. But my future programme will depend on my health".

Basu will remain in office, however, till November six, when Bhattacherjee will be sworn in as Chief Minister.

Listing the achievements of his government, he however sounded a note of caution to his partymen saying, "at times we get alienated from the people. We have to rectify this".

He ended his day at the state secretariat today lambasting the press for allegedly distorting news, as the CPI(M)- Backed Coordination Committee members kicked and punched newspersons covering Basu’s felicitation outside Writers’ Buildings.

"Two or three newspapers are writing blatant lies,"Basu told a massive gathering at the felicitation organised by the Coordination Committee of State Government Employees.

Calling upon state government employees to guard against `false propaganda’ in a section of the press, the veteran Marxist leader, however, advised them to work without partiality. "As marxists, we cannot have any other interest other than those of the people."

Addressing newspersons at a farewell function organised by them barely 15 minutes before the Coordination Committee function, Basu exhorted the media not to distort news. "You have the right to criticise us in your editorials. Otherwise we may go astray."

The scribes presented Basu a number of mementos including a Pierre Cardin fountain pen, a framed photograph of the Chief Minister with the secretariat in the background, while photo journalists offered an album chronicling in pictures his days at the helm of affairs in the state.

Basu, who has a love-hate relation with the press, said,"I know you were upset at times over some of my utterances, when I was in a hurry. But I was helpless. Because of my health, I had to return home early," he said.

Meanwhile, some Coordination Committee members prevented a group of newspersons from covering the felicitation function organised by the Committee, kicking and punching the journalists and hurling invectives.

As reporters both from the print and electronic media jostled through a sea of humanity to reach the press enclosure near the podium, some Committee members, sporting badges, prevented the scribes and demanded to know what prevented them from reaching earlier.

The scribes’ explanation that they were at the Rotunda covering Basu’s farewell programme organised by reporters and photojournalists, failed to cut any ice. "If you cannot come early, stay put where you are," they said, throwing a human barricade around the anxious journalists and abusing them.

"You call yourselves members of the Press? All you write is lies. Tomorrow’s papers will carry false news about this programme," they shouted kicking and fisting newsmen who tried to dodge their way to the press enclosure.

A posse of policepersons manning the central gate of the secretariat, remained silent spectators. "We cannot do anything now," an officer said.

Some months ago, scribes covering an agitation of the state government employees were beaten up by Coordination Committee members inside the secretariat.