The ghastly rape and murder of a junior doctor at the R.G. Kar Medical College and Hospital in Kolkata resonated at the condolence meeting for former Chief Minister of West Bengal and prominent Left leader Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee, who passed away after prolonged illness on August 8 at the age of 80.
The meeting held at the Netaji Indoor Stadium here even ended with the slogan — ‘Ei Sharanshobhar Ektai Shwor, Justice for RG Kar’ (This commemoration gathering had just one voice — Justice for RG Kar).
Addressing the gathering as the last speaker, CPI-M politburo member and state Secretary Md Salim said, “Our late leader last addressed a public rally at the Brigade Parade Ground in Kolkata in 2015 when he emphasised that we need to fight and win the battle. Similarly, we are saying today that we will have to fight the battle and win. And what is our battle today?”
In reply, hundreds of party workers who assembled for the memorial meet said in unison: “Justice for RG Kar.”
Salim also said that Bhattacharjee’s dream for industrial rejuvenation of West Bengal was set in the right direction.
“His dream was to build a new Bengal. His dream was to make the next generation of the state self-reliant,” said Salim.
Speaking on the occasion, former minister in the Bhattacharjee-led Left Front Cabinet, Surjya Kanta Mishra, recalled how the late leader during his frequent hospitalisations in the last couple of years always insisted on his early release.
“His logic was that after all, it was his life. I used to counter him by saying his life also belonged to the party. He sometimes accepted my point,” Mishra recalled.
Bhattacharjee’s wife Meera Bhattacharjee was also present on the occasion though despite requests from the CPI-M leadership, she didn’t sit on the main dais and preferred to be part of the audience.
The veteran leader was unwell for a while, suffering from respiratory problems that led to frequent hospitalisations. He was put on life support last year after he contracted pneumonia.
An alumnus of Presidency College, Bhattacharjee was a school teacher before he joined politics full-time. After serving as an MLA and a state minister, he was elevated to the post of Deputy Chief Minister before Jyoti Basu stepped down as the Chief Minister in 2000. As the Chief Minister, Bhattacharjee led the Left Front to Assembly poll victories in 2001 and 2006.
