Basu felt industrialisation was neglected in WB: Amartya Sen
New Delhi: Noted economist and Nobel
laureate Amartya Sen on Sunday described former West Bengal Chief
Minister Jyoti Basu, who breathed his last in Kolkata, as one
who would be missed for his ideas and leadership and said he
was concerned about neglect of industrialisation in the state.
"As Chief Minister, he felt industrialisation was being
neglected (in West Bengal)....he felt that the party had to
think afresh about the relationship between India's rather
dynamic business economy and a just equitable state as well as
future of union movement," Sen told a news channel.
It is widely believed that Basu was opposed to
industrialisation as he was a strong votary of the Marxist
ideology which lays emphasis on rights of labourers and
workers.
Sen said it was left to Basu's successor Buddhadev
Bhattacharya to invite the private players to set up
industries in West Bengal.
The noted economist paid glowing tributes to Basu,
describing him as one who would be remembered for "his ideas,
his leadership, his warm presence, his affection".
"It is a very sad day. He was a great leader, a wonderful
human being, full of affection, full of humanity...," he said.
Sen credited Basu with integrating the Indian Communist
movement into the functioning multi-party democracy of India.
"....he certainly made it (integration of Left movement
into the political mainstream) a lot easier, lot more natural
and in many ways, elegant," Sen said.