Guess who?s backing West Bengal CM Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee?s ?capitalist course? for the state? The grand daddy of CPM politics and former CM, Jyoti Basu, that?s who. ?Socialism is not possible now,? he said (cue: thunder and lightning) in Kolkata the other day… ?We want capital, both foreign and domestic. After all, we?re working in a capitalist system.? True, Marxists committed themselves to a classless society, but that was a long time ago. ?Socialism is our political agenda and was mentioned in our party document,? Basu elaborated, ?but capitalism will continue to be the compulsion for the future.? Lashing out at allies like the Forward Bloc and RSP that have been crying foul and complaining that the Left is straying from its ideology, Basu added, ?Capitalists have a role too. We want capital. What is the objection to it?? In Delhi, Karat and his fellow ideologues have okayed an interpretation of Basu?s words.
Down wonder
Eavesdropper?s had a field day. First, it was Dada?s double ton. But it is the cricket controversy that has given Kolkata?s addabaaziing its frenzy. Every biped in the city has an opinion on the series Down Under. On the bus: ?Sacking Bucknor [the unkind umpire] isn?t enough, the result of the Sydney test [won by Australia] should be declared null and void.? When one brave commuter piped up that ESPN-Star could lose Rs 90 crore if the series is abandoned, he was hushed up by another??India?s honour is at stake and all you can think of is money?? Sighed another voice, ?We never take business seriously, we?re too emotional.?