Ten years ago, the then Left government of West Bengal had a forgettable experience with Gopalkrishna Gandhi, the then governor of the state. The great grandson of Mahatma Gandhi, who had chosen to be a proactive governor rather than a puppet, had created inconvenient moments for Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee's government and the former chief minister did not forget to mention Gandhi's name in a non-favourable tone in his book years after getting voted out of power. Even the late Jyoti Basu, who had ruled Bengal for 23 years but gave way to Bhattacharjee four years before Gandhi took over, was not happy with the role of the former governor.
Gandhi is particularly known for his strong dig at the Left rule, mentioning about its "bone-chilling terror". The active role he had played, especially when the state was rocked by the Singur and Nandigram movements, was something that made things uneasy for the ruling party. He had even visited the venue where Mamata Banerjee, the current CM had undertaken a fasting to protest the Left's acquisition of farm land for the cause of industrialisation. Now, the same Gandhi has been endorsed by the same Left.
Modi has changed the otherwise unalterable Left
The facilitator of this change is none other than the BJP. With the Left losing its ground fast to the saffron party in Bengal and facing strong challenge from it in Kerala and also feeling worried over its base in Tripura, the leadership now has decided to cling on to whatever that comes to its way. The past antagonism with Gandhi doesn't make any difference today for Sitaram Yechury's party for it its very survival is in jeopardy.
Its desperation is so much evident that it is even not considering any negotiation with the Congress for the support for sending Yechury to the Rajya Sabha once again. In these days of crisis, the Left needs a strong face to represent it in parliament and the absence of Yechury, who completes his second term next month, will hurt it more irrespective of what the norms say.
Gandhi will make little impact against the BJP and Sangh Parivar's Hindutva designs, something he still could have done if he became the president even if nominally. The Opposition missed the bus by not picking him as the presidential candidate, something Trinamool Congress chief Mamata Banerjee had proposed. But the Left in India, of which nothing much is left, is now game for anything hoping that it will stop the BJP from gobbling up its relics.
Hence, the support for Gopalkrishna Gandhi. But as history is always ruthless, it is reminding the communists how they had dealt with the same individual during their heydays.
