PRAGOTI

In the last seven months 12 farmers have committed suicide in West Bengal because of debt related problems and a crash of the prices of their crops. Many more farmers have been forced to sell their crops under distress at abysmally low prices and some have burnt down their crops in utter frustration. The question is what has ‘changed’ in the state?

The CPI(M) will undertake a comprehensive review of the results to identify the causes which have led to the erosion of support for the Left Front and the political shift that has taken place in West Bengal. The CPI (M) will, after the critical examination of the election results, orient itself towards taking up the issues of the basic classes and fighting for the interests of the working people. The political platform of the Left which includes the fight against the neo-liberal economic policies, defending the livelihood of the people, defence of national sovereignty and secularism remains as the only alternative political platform for the country as against those of the ruling class parties like the Congress and the BJP. General Secretary of the CPI(M), Prakash Karat writes. 

The Left Front Government has been attacked consistently by the pro-Mamata intellectuals relying on falsehoods and a deep rooted anti-communist ideology. The media tried to project as if no intellectuals are supporting the Left Front Government. This is however far from truth. Eminent intellectuals of the state have openly expressed their support for the Left Front and have appealed to the people to elect the 8th Left Front Government.

A perceptive piece by R.Uma Maheswari in The Hoot points out how commentary in many newspapers over the assembly elections has been used as a front for taking on "communism" by the bourgeois media. As the author says, "A media bubble called Mamata" has been created in the press and multimedia. And how, "every other day we have Mamata eulogies camouflaged as news. She is the mainstream media's candidate and she is also the industry's favourite as the next chief minister".