By IANS,
Kolkata: Mahatma Gandhi’s grandson Gopal Krishna Gandhi Sunday bade adieu as West Bengal governor by hosting the state’s creme de al cr�me to tea after occupying the Raj Bhavan for five momentous years.
The 64-year-old former IAS officer and diplomat, who took over as governor Dec 14, 2004, found his tenure coinciding with the most volatile period the state has seen in three decades – peasant unrest fuelled by the opposition parties in Singur and Nandigram as well as largescale political clashes.
He responded to each of the events in a polite but firm manner, while never compromising on his dignity.
Gandhi’s hard-hitting statements after the police lathi-charge on protestors in Nandigram, the ruling Communist Party of India-Marxist’s (CPI-M) bid to regain the turf through violence, as also escalating political violence after the April-May Lok Sabha election prompted angry reactions from the Communist-led Left Front government.
The Marxists questioned his impartiality and accused him of playing politics.
In the middle of last year, Gandhi took an unprecedented decision to switch off power supply to the Raj Bhavan by two hours daily to share the plight of the people reeling under power cuts. This prompted the Marxists to call him “publicity hungry”.
However, it was his efforts to broker a solution to the vexed Singur issue that earned him many admirers.
He persuaded the warring Chief Minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee and Trinamool Congress chief Mamata Banerjee to talk. But in the end the talks failed and Tata Motors shifted the Nano car project to Gujarat.
Setting aside their differences, political leaders, cultural personalities, sports stars and other eminent persons assembled at the Raj Bhavan Sunday for the farewell tea party thrown by the governor.
Bhattacharjee, Banerjee, union and state ministers and other political top guns, film director Aparna Sen, danseuse Amala Shankar, painters Jogen Chowdhury and Olympian footballer P.K. Banerjee were among the 600 guests present at the Raj Bhavan.
Earlier in the day, Gandhi called on nonagenarian communist leader Jyoti Basu at the latter’s residence.
“I have been quite happy with you,” said Basu, who was chief minister for over 23 years from 1977 to 2000.
“I am leaving tomorrow. I am returning to Chennai. But I could not go without coming and saying goodbye to you,” Gandhi told the ailing Basu.
Speaking to mediapersons after the five-minute meeting, Gandhi said: “It is a privilege for me to know Jyoti Basu. It has been a great pleasure to have the benefit of his presence and guidance on many matters over these years, and particularly the last five years. I have come to take his leave before I return.”