"We shall become the first in industry," Mr Basu told a huge gathering at a felicitation ceremony organised by six Calcutta chambers of commerce and industry on Wednesday.

In a 40-minute speech that covered the state's economic and political history, Mr Basu, who gave up office on Monday, admitted that the Left Front government had made quite a few mistakes, but also pointed out its accomplishments, for instance, unleashing the forces of the rural economy and decentralising power.

He conceded that West Bengal, once the birthplace of Indian industry, is way down in the rankings today because of various factors. For one, he said, when the Left Front came to power, it practically invented the word 'gherao'.

"Later on, we realised that it is surely not a part of the trade union movement," Mr Basu said.

He told industrialists that workers have a right to strike for legitimate demands, just as managements have the right to lock out their factories.

But the goal should be cooperation. Managements should be more open with workers about their plans, and workers must realise that it is their duty to help the government implement its common minimum programme.

"Both must ensure that industry does not become sick, and makes profits," Mr Basu said. "After all, industry runs for profits. It is not a charity."

"We must motivate workers and the managements," Mr Basu said."What we have done in the agriculture sector, the rural areas, we shall do for industry. It will take some time, but there is no doubt about it," Mr Basu asserted to spontaneous applause from industry leaders.

He said that West Bengal had been given a bad name by its detractors, who had overlooked the apathetic attitude of successive Union governments, the crippling effect of policies like freight equalisation and industrial licensing, and the refugee burden that had to be borne by the state.

Mr Basu said that Mrs Gandhi's government had refused to direct the defence ministry to set up electronics industries in Salt Lake, when the township was in its infancy.

"She told me that the ministry did not want sensitive industries in a border state," Mr Basu said. He recounted how he failed to make Mrs Gandhi see that the first states to face enemy attack would be the ones adjacent to Pakistan, not West Bengal. "Today, the pulse of life beats in Salt Lake," Mr Basu said, referring to the thriving software industry in the twin city.

He said that the Left Front government is often painted as anti-industry, although the communists agree that nothing can be done unless the private sector is brought in. He admitted that communists accept the inescapable fact of competition, but insist that it must be among equals. "We are not ready yet to face the multinationals," he said.