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EPISODE – XXXX
TOPIC: AB Bardhan (1924-2016): An honest politician with a sweeping view of history passes away
BLOG: Scroll
WRITER: Saba Naqvi
GENRE: Opinion

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D2G wears no responsibility of the views published here by the respective Author. This Editorial is used here for Study Purpose. Students are advised to learn the word-meaning, The Art of Writing Skills and understand the crux of this Editorial.

MEANINGS are given in BOLD and ITALIC

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Ardhendu Bhushan Bardhan had many stories to tell: about his days as a trade union activist, memories and assessments of contemporary (Contemporary things are modern and relate to the present time) Indian political figures. Occasionally, he even admitted to some mistakes of the party Left in India. His death, on New Year’s Day, at the age of 92, signals the end of a generation of communists who had a vantage (viewpoint) view of history, had personally met many of the revolutionary fighters of the past century, been part of intense ideological debate. They had made great strides (If you make strides in something that you are doing, you make rapid progress in it) and perhaps greater errors.

The last time I sat down to a full fledged (fully developed) interview with Bardhan was in May 2012, a month after he had stepped down as general secretary of the Communist Party of India after four terms that began in 1996. That day I noticed in his room at Ajoy Bhawan, the CPI headquarters in Delhi, a painting of Ho Chi Minh gifted by people from Vietnam and a poster of Che Guevera that was a gift from some by Cubans. I remember thinking that the age of great revolution has certainly gone by.

Yet it’s clear that the significance of Bardhan and other Indian communists in shaping the contours (You can refer to the general shape or outline of an object as its contours. (LITERARY)) of debate remains greater than their diminishing electoral clout (influence) in parliament and the states.

Even as many argue with the party Left about their ideological rigidity, intellectual arrogance and ostrich-like view of the world, no one can ever doubt the innate honesty and integrity of individuals like Comrade Bardhan.

Vajpayee and Manmohan

I vividly remember his rage (strong anger) with former prime minister Manmohan Singh, whom he believed was principally engaged in bringing India closer to the US at the cost of traditional allies. In the first term of the United Progressive Alliance, when the Left parties supported the Manmohan Singh regime, there were many stormy coordination committee meetings and the dislike for the prime minister became palpable (You describe something as palpable when it is obvious or intense and easily noticed).

Bardhan had a far better equation with another former prime minister, Atal Bihari Vajpayee. Bardhan told me a delicious anecdote about how Vajpayee once summoned him and the former general secretary of the Communist Party of India (Marxist) Harkishen Singh Surjeet. In carefully chosen Hindi words Vajpayee told the two communist veterans that their protests against the US action in Iraq were weak and they should step it up. At that time, Vajpayee was trying to side-step a section in his own party and government that wanted India to join the so called US-led war on terror.

Like other communists Bardhan never had a good answer as to why even post-Mandal, members of the upper castes and Brahmins continued to dominate structures in the Left parties. He would reply that it happened because a certain level of literacy was needed to understand the ideology of Marxism and socialism. The answer was never good enough to explain the atrophy (shrink) in the Left but it was an honest answer.

As a political reporter for nearly two decades, I have had the best of relations (and the worst) with politicians across the ideological spectrum. These are ultimately professional engagements. But Bardhan was the sort of figure a mere reporter could grow quite fond of. He was an institution in Delhi and some of us who found time to occasionally visit will miss him.

TEST YOUR SKILLS

SYNONYM

1. PALPABLE
a) decades
b) beautiful
c) obvious
d) Soft

2. CONTOURS
a) boundaries
b) outline
c) Feelings
d) Discriminate

3. VANTAGE
a) Eye Sight
b) Middle Point
c) View Point
d) Vintage Thing

4. CLOUT
a) Feel
b) Stop
c) Start
d) Influence

5. STRIDES
a) Hit
b) Run
c) Walk
d) Waves

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