Kolkata: CPI(M) lists its status as West Bengal ruling party in 2011. Now after not being able to send a single representative to the state assembly, it even has lost the status of an opposition party. The leadership is still trying to find out ways on how to win back the lost confidence of the people.
Undoubtedly, the party leadership is now focusing on new and young faces in the leadership. However, these new leaders can not be branded as the typical dyed-in-the-wool communists. The Left Front chairman in West Bengal, Biman Bose has already appealed to the youth community to become members of the party in huge numbers. He also appealed to the leadership to select dedicated youths and bring them in the leadership positions.
Now the party's students; wing, Students' Federation of India (SFI) is depending on the football legend from Argentina, the late Diego Armando Maradona, to reach out to the youths. The captain of the victorious Argentinian team in the 1986 FIFA World Cup is now expected to create a link between Buenos Aires and Nabadwip in Nadia district of West Bengal. In the forthcoming state conference of SFI scheduled at Nabadwip next month, one conference room there will be named after the global soccer icon.
Also read: BJP to come down heavily on TMC govt after festive season
This a diversion from the regular practice since such naming of rooms or venues in such party conferences were done after the names of veteran party leaders. But this time SFI is totally deviating from the tradition. In the state conference tributes will be paid to after icons from different fields of art, culture and popular movements, like Soumitra Chattopadhyay, Mrinal Sen, Buddadeb Dasgupta, Danish Siddique, George Floyd, Stan Swamy and Varavara Rao.
According to SFI's state secretary in West Bengal, Srijon Bhattacharya, some so- called apolitical but with specific political opinions are always inspirations for the youths. "Their works and ways of life always inspire us. They have always stood against the black shadow of extreme rightist forces that is looming over the country now. So in this state conference we will pay tribute to them," he said.
Explaining why a conference room will be named after Maradona, Bhattacharya said besides his excellence in the area of soccer, Maradona is also synonymous with anti-establishment courage and the voice of rebels. "So it is our humble attempt to salute that rebel voice. His social outlook has always been reflected in his life. He had been extremely close to Fidel Castro and Che Guevara. Castro considered him like his own son. Maradona had always taken a stand against American imperialism. So he is a true youth icon and so we have decided to name a conference room after him," he said.
To recall, during the pandemic, the approach of Red Volunteers in helping COVID-19 affected people of the state has attracted many youth . A community canteen, "Shramajeebi Canteen," run by leftist youths has also become extremely popular. Now Diego Armando Maradona becomes the poster- boy for SFI in attracting youths.
