Basu presided over Bengal's industrial decay

Kolkata: Jyoti Basu's death has triggered a flood of responses from all over India and across the political spectrum.

Basu has been described as a leader of leaders, a man who has inspired politicians of all shades.

Yet what did he really achieve for the state he ruled continuously for 23 years.

While Basu's admirers are showering praise on the departed leader there are the belligerent, critical voices accusing him of ruining a prosperous state.

"I don't want my child to be live here. I don't want to live here myself. We can't stay in Bengal anymore," a group of Kolkata residents say.

"Communists didn't believe in heaven or hell so they created West Bengal," says another group.

The longest serving chief minister had an equally long list of detractors, from fighting the cause of landless masses, to being held singularly responsible for a failed education system, and a complete collapse of industries.

Basu controversially removed English teaching from the primary school syllabus and a whole generation of Bengalis lost out because they simply weren't good enough in the language which is universally accepted.

Basu's cadres unleashed a spate of frustrating bandhs which resulted in the flight of both capital and middle class talent.

"He could be dead but one can't ignore that he could have done much more," says Anjan Dutt.

Basu didn't do anything innovative for Bengal's development. His maximum achievement was in the countryside with land reforms and a successful panchayati raj system. But his effort to industrialise Bengal came only in the 1990s.

"These are cannibal times. Basu's leadership is needed," says Mrinal Sen.

Basu leaves behind a good track record in managing law and order. But stability many would say is often the mother of stagnation.

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