Kolkata: On Thursday, Kolkata’s Netaji Indoor Stadium hosted a significant tribute to Buddhadeb Bhattacharya, the former West Bengal Chief Minister and CPI(M) leader. The event highlighted how Bhattacharya integrated Tagore’s ideals with Marxist-Leninist principles.
The gathering was marked by a somber mood and featured a series of musical and poetic performances. Singers Lopamudra Mitra, Agnibho Bandhyapadhya, Alok Roychoudhury, and Rajayashri Bhattacharya, along with elocutionists Urmimala Basu and Rajat Bandhyapadhya, contributed to the event with renditions of Tagore’s and Jibonananda Das’s works.
The ceremony commenced with 80 Red Flags at half-mast, symbolizing Bhattacharya’s age at his passing. CPI(M) leaders garlanded a large portrait of Bhattacharya, and a moment of silence was observed for both the late Chief Minister and the victim of the RG Kar rape-murder case.
CPI(M) state secretary Mohd. Salim praised Bhattacharya’s dedication and vision. He lamented the current state of youth migration due to a lack of job opportunities, which Bhattacharya had aimed to address. Salim emphasized that remembrance meetings are not just about mourning but about reinforcing the commitment to justice and equality.
Salim also criticized the circumstances that led to Bhattacharya’s removal from power, attributing it to a conspiracy. He described Bhattacharya as a secular humanist who advocated for the working class and farmers.
In a video message, CPI(M) general secretary Sitaram Yechury, currently hospitalized in Delhi, praised Bhattacharya as a visionary. Yechury noted Bhattacharya’s ambitions to industrialize West Bengal and stated that his legacy will remain influential.
The event attracted a diverse audience, including former IAS officers, ex-India cricket captain Sourav Ganguly, CAB president Snehasish Ganguly, artists, and numerous party members and supporters.
CPI(M) politburo member Surjyakanta Mishra shared personal anecdotes about Bhattacharya, recalling their joint efforts in improving BC Roy Children’s Hospital and a time when Mishra had to insist Bhattacharya remain in the hospital for his health.
Left Front Chairman Biman Basu urged party members to emulate Bhattacharya’s human values. Basu reminisced about their time together during Bhattacharya’s underground activities, which strengthened their bond.