Nothing is wrong on our part. The violence is due to the greatest opposition and resistance that exists in the state against the Communists and the CPI-M. Because we are strong in West Bengal, you will find the extreme Hindu and extreme Muslim communalists have shared the platform between the Trinmool Congress and the BJP etc.

Part I of the interview: 'In our party there is no individual leadership'

They have all combined against us because there is a class struggle in Bengal. It is through class struggle that we have got the land for the poor peasants and landless. Always, there will be attack on us. I can give you a list.

In Tripura, West Bengal and Kerala panchayat elections we have lost 30 people from our party alone.

But you are stronger...

Yes. Because in a democracy those who want to snatch power, kill our people. Despite that we don't lose support of the people. In Kerala they kill our people. In Tripura they kill our party men.

At the same time you remember people could not believe that we had the highest turnout of voters in Tripura. People could not believe that there was 97 per cent voting in Tripura. The Election Commission itself was shocked. People were waiting in queue till 11 pm even though voting time ended at 5 pm. Because we take up their issues they come out to vote.

There is disunity in West Bengal. The RSP (Revolutionairy Socialist Party) has been attacked. It has drawn international attention.

For your information there were less people killed compared to the last panchayat election. I am saying there is not just an election there. There is an effort by the dominant section of society who have lost power to come back. What happens in panchayats in other states? Landless labourers, small peasants can run the panchayat in West Bengal.

But in West Bengal you are strong and you are the dominant class...

That's why they try to displace us. They cannot do it through elections, so they use violence and they use weapons.

What about your violent clashes with the RSP?

Yes, we have some differences with them in Bengal. One of the issues was industrialisation. We recognise that and we have met them and told them that we will sort it out and arrive at a common understanding.

Recently, a learned RSP leader was arguing that it was a fatal error of the CPI-M to woo the middle class; you should address your core constituency.

If I have no industry I'll have no working class in West Bengal. At one stage in the 1970s and 1980s all industries were closing. Industries from Howrah to Raniganj were closing. What will happen to a party of the working class?

For us industrialisation is not to help some corporate but it is also to see that the working class survives in Bengal. We are very clear that industrialisation will not be at the expense of farmers and peasants. We have sacrificed so much.

You are talking of current violence but hundreds of peasants have died because we are fighting for land. We are not going to give up our legacy of sacrifices for land reforms and say now all land should be taken and given to big corporations.

Image: A grieving woman who lost a relative arrives to cast her vote in the panchayat election in Basanti, some 100 km south of Kolkata, May 19, 2008. At least 20 people died in political clashes during panchayat polling in West Bengal. Photograph: Deshakalyan Chowdhury/AFP/Getty Images

Also see: 'Nandigram is ruled by power-crazy monsters'

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