Burden Of Hope
Ajit Jogi takes over a state rich in surplus resources, but can expect teething troubles from expectant allies and disappointed rivals vying for the top post

Wasteland
Jyoti Basu leaves behind a state that is politically marginalised, economically denuded. His legacy: masterful non-performance.

Fifth Column
by Tavleen Singh
True Lies Forever

Right Angle
by Swapan Dasgupta
Intrigues at the Very Top

Royal Meltdown

Twin-Pronged Strategy

More...

Lest We Forget

History of West Bengal-Jyoti Basu

The number of factories in Bengal has fallen

1977 The Coronation
Jyoti Basu’s government is sworn in (right) after the Left Front drubs the Congress and the Janata Party.

1978 Groundwork
Operation Barga and Panchayati Raj create new social equations that bolster CPI(M).

1982 Second Coming
The lf wins a second term in office with utmost ease. But soon afterwards CPI(M) strongman Promode Dasgupta dies.

...Ensuring fewer people are employed today

1983 His own Master
The death of Dasgupta (far right) makes Basu the unchallenged supremo of the CPI(M) and the Left Front. But Darjeeling begins to burn. Power shortages cripple industry.

1984 Minor Shocks
Post-Indira Gandhi election sees the lf losing 16 Lok Sabha seats to the Congress. Mamata Banerjee is elected.

1987 Hat-Trick
Basu beats off concerted Rajiv Gandhi challenge. But the epithet “dying city” sticks on Calcutta.

...per capita income is now lower than the nation's

1989 Stake in Delhi
V.P. Singh becomes prime minister with support of BJP and
“natural ally” CPI(M).

1991 New Foes
First the BJP, which wins votes in Bengal, and then economic liberalisation. The end of the Soviet empire also leaves the CPI(M) orphaned.

1992 Violence and Rage
The post-Babri Masjid violence punctures Basu’s claims of social peace. Calcutta’s first riots since 1965.

...But Basu's regime made more Bengalis literate

1996 ‘Historic Blunder’
Re-elected for a fourth term. But Basu’s hopes of becoming pm are dashed by CPI(M)

1997 The First Challenge
Mamata adopts a strident posture. Breaks away from the Congress to take on Basu.

1997 ‘Barbaric Centre’
BJP comes to power and wins a seat in Bengal.

1999 Second Time Unlucky
Sonia Gandhi vetoes Basu’s hopes of becoming pm after Vajpayee’s fall.

2000 Last Waltz
Haldia project goes on stream (below). Mamata challenge intensifies. Political violence grows. Basu calls it a day.

ACHIEVEMENT

RURAL CITADEL: Land redistribution and panchayati raj empowered the village poor. These were the achievements of Jyoti Basu's first five years, 1977-82.

STABLE GOVERNANCE: After the turbulence of the Naxalite years and Congress recklessness, Bengal enjoyed a unique continuity with an elder statesman-like chief minister.

SOCIAL EQUITY: Between 1980 and 1997, Bengal's literacy rate grew 23 per cent. The number of those living below the poverty line has also declined.

FAILURE

VILLAGE IDIOCY: Rural Bengal really became a CPI(M) dictatorship. The tyranny of the local party committee was absolute. The district magistrate became a cipher.

STAGNANT NON-GOVERNANCE: Aside from empty promises, Basu offered his people nothing. The state is an economic mess. Frustration is leading to social tension and violence.

DESTROYING QUALITY: Taking "anti-elitism" to an extreme, Basu's comrades destroyed Bengal's leading educational institutions. Calcutta University is a hospital case.

Gracious Gaggle
Goodness Gracious Me!..."takes the mickey out of Asians in the UK"
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Looking Glass

Mumbai: Restaurant

Delhi: Art Exhibition

Delhi: Restaurant

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