[Marxistindia] Prakash Karat's tribute to Jyoti Basu

[news from the cpi(m)]

                                                        January 17, 2010


                        TRIBUTE BY PRAKASH KARAT



Jyoti Basu was a great leader of the CPI(M), the Left movement and
India. With his passing away, an era has passed.


Seventy years of public life and political activity marked him out, at
the time of his death, as the most distinguished Left leader of the
country. An ardent Communist, he was one of the few political leaders in
independent India who actually deepened democracy, strengthened
secularism and brought the working people to the centre-stage of Indian
politics.


As Chief Minister of West Bengal for a record 23 years, his lasting
contributions were land reforms, which gave land and security of tenure
to millions of peasants, the vitalization of panchayat institutions, and
the creation of an enduring atmosphere of secularism in the State. He
taught Communists how to work and serve the people in parliamentary
forums in order to bring about changes in public policy. 


He stood with the struggles of the working class and all working people.
Jyoti Basu became a symbol of Left, democratic and secular forces.


Although he died at the age of 95, he leaves us bereft -- because there
will be none like Jyoti Basu again. 

eom