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Saturday, April 30, 2011

DUM DUM: CPI (M) KA DUM

AS curtains are drawn on campaigning for the third phase of the six phase assembly elections in Bengal, Swapan Gupta sitting in the first floor room of Dumdum Zonal-1 committee office in the bylanes of Rajer Nagar Bazar, looks a little tired but relaxed man. Gupta, who is incharge of CPI (M) and Left Front election campaign in Dumdum, that is likely to see one of the most celebrated contests, has reasons for feeling relaxed. He feels that mobilisation of the last day through large number of small and not so small meetings, processions etc has only confirmed what he could already see in the last three-four days of campaigning: 'there is a huge swell in support for CPI (M) candidate, state housing minister Gautam Deb.'

It's not just what Gupta, member of CPI (M) South 24 Parganas district committee claims. There are more than sufficient indicators of the same. Most telling of these indicators being that the attendance in prime minister Manmohan Singh and Trinamool leader Mamata Banerjee's joint public meeting near central jail was not more than 5000 people. But the next day, CPI (M) candidate’s padayatra/rally, saw more than 50,000 people participating. As if to give further political hype to this contest, former speaker of Lok Sabha, Somnath Chatterjee, also addressed a huge meeting in support of CPI (M) candidate Gautam Deb.

Dumdum was once counted amongst most powerful bases of CPI (M) in Bengal. But Dumdum is not the same today. In the last few decades, its economy and society both have gone through big changes. One very significant change is the decay of engineering industries and jute industry that used to be the mainstay of Dumdum's economy and industrial character. Second being proper rehabilitation and prosperity of East-Pakistan migrant population that constitutes roughly 60 per cent of Dumdum's population.

This has led Dumdum to emerge as an urban conglomerate on fringes of Kolkata, with a huge middle class and even substantive upper middle class population. This seems to have led to some erosion in popular support for Left, though Left's support amongst working people -- airport workers being an important part of -- and East-Pakistan refugees largely remains intact.

The last parliamentary elections saw CPI (M) not only lose Dumdum parliamentary seat, but also trail behind TMC-Congress opponent in this segment, though by a small margin of little over seven hundred votes only. Further, in elections held later for Dumdum and South Dumdum municipal boards, the anti-Left trend only intensified further. This resulted in CPI (M) winning only 16 out of total 39 wards in the two municipal boards that constitute Dumdum assembly constituency, while TMC-Congress alliance cornered 23 seats.

But as Swapan Gupta explains, there is a noticeable change in popular mood in the last one and half years. Besides political and organisational efforts made by the CPI (M) and the initiatives taken by the Left Front government for strengthening social security for marginalised sections, including workers in unorganised sector, people's experience of TMC-Congress rule in the two municipal boards and also at national level has led to disillusionment of even people who got carried away two years back by their anti-Left rhetoric. Successful resistance to efforts to privatise Dumdum airport seems to have given new confidence to airport workers. Effect is visible amongst workers and youth. SFI has won in all college student union elections in this area. The student movement here has given SFI lots of its earlier leaders including Shyamal Chakravarthy, Gautam Deb and late Subhash Chakravarthy. Deb is contesting from this constituency post-delimitation while sitting MLA, Rekha Gosh, is contesting from the reconstituted Dumdum North constituency.

The candidature of Gautam Deb, who has been directly challenging Mamata Banerjee's falsities and preposterous claims, has no doubt given momentum for consolidation in favour of Left. Trinamool’s decision to put up a known but apolitical theatre actor, Bratya Basu, has not been able to even slowdown this process. If anything, his total dependence on Trinamool's ruffian brigade has only increased popular fears of return of violent 1970s in case TMC-led combine reaches anywhere near Writers Building. His claim to be Khandaoon (wooden slipper of old age) candidate for Mamata di is not helping matters for him either. In spite of media's presentation of this contest as the battle royale of this election, CPI (M) appears to be safely placed here in what was once considered its fortress anyway.

(April 25, 2011)

Courtesy: www.pd.cpim.org/

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