LF govt `neglected` West Bengal, says Bardhan

New Delhi, Jun 28 (PTI) Blaming big brother Communist
Party of India-Marxist (CPI-M) for the Maoist violence in
Lalgarh in India's eastern state of West Bengal, Communist
Party of India (CPI) General Secretary A B Bardhan says the
Left front government was guilty of neglect in not doing
anything for the masses, especially the tribals, after
carrying out agrarian reforms.

In significant comments, Bardhan also said his party was
not consulted on administration describing this attitude as
one of the "failings" of the CPI-M led government, which, he
said was run like a single-party government.

"Incompetence is a very harsh word. But I must say an
element of neglect...an element of not undertaking the actual
work they should have done, particularly in areas inhabited by
tribal people. There is a need for paying special attention to
the tribal people, development and all that," Bardhan said.

Though the Left Front government had undertaken agrarian
reforms in the state, he said the administration had not gone
ahead and done more.

"About 75 per cent of the tribal people are beneficiaries
of the agrarian reforms. Beyond that, you have to do something
more," he added.

"They neglected it. Yes, I will say so...particularly it
has been aggravated in the last 10 years," Bardhan told
Karan Thapar on the 'Devil's Advocate' show on CNN-IBN,
answering a question on whether the Left Front government's
"incompetence" was behind the Lalgarh violence.

Asked why he did not advice the Left Front government, he
said: "No. At that time, there was no question of me giving
any advice. In fact, the government was being run as a
one-party government more or less."

The CPI leader also credited Trinamool Congress' success
in the state to the "failings" of the state government.

"If the Left Front government is not failing in some
respects, what scope would Trinamool have. Moreover, Mamata
Banerjee or Trinamool leadership can take advantage of only
our weaknesses," Bardhan said.

Bardhan also said,"I do not think we were consulted.
That is one of the failings of the Left Front government in
West Bengal. The act of consulting that ought to be there is
not there."

To a question if the neglect was due to CPI(M) thinking
that it was capable of handling the situation and not looking
to others for advice, the CPI leader said he was unsure if his
party was capable of advising.

"But if they had consulted all the partners of the Left
Front, I think they would have done better," he added. He also
blamed the CPI(M)'s allies for failing to keep in touch with
the people, with the masses.

Bardhan said the Maoists found "a fertile soil" due to
the alienation of the people, particularly tribals, from the
government and the ruling parties.

Targeting Banerjee, Bardhan alleged she was willing to
join hands with the Maoists and the latter were willing to
help her.

Bardhan underlined the need for some corrective measures
in the future in relation to Lalgarh incident saying: "There
has to be a post-mortem and there has to be a cure." PTI