NEARLY a million people marched to Brigade Parade Ground on February 28, in an unprecedented show of determination and enthusiasm.  The rally turned the carefully crafted narrative of a fight between only the Trinamool Congress and the Bharatiya Janata Party, in the forthcoming assembly elections, on its head. An unambiguous message was sent out, by the gathering, that in spite of what the lap-dog media is painstakingly projecting, the fight for the Bengal assembly will be a triangular contest between the Left Front-Indian National Congress-Indian Secular Front, the Trinamool Congress and the Bharatiya Janata Party. The Left, secular parties declared the birth of ‘Sanjukta Morcha’ in the rally and called upon the people to change the political balance of forces in West Bengal.

Addressing the sea of people, the collective leadership of the Left Front, Indian National Congress and the Indian Secular Front said, in no uncertain terms, that the fight will be a fight to seize power from the present corrupt dispensation and to keep communal, divisive BJP at bay. The grand alliance shall put forth alternative policies with the aim to offer a corruption-free transparent inclusive government that shall work to bring probity in public life, ensure education and health for all, generate employment, fill vacant positions, restore democracy, and bring over-all improvement in the lives of the people especially those who have been pushed outside the margin.

Addressing the enthusiastic and fervent crowd, CPI(M) general secretary Sitaram Yechury said, the imminent change in the power equation in Bengal was evident from today’s gathering. He made it sufficiently clear that the TMC will have to be dethroned in order to stop the juggernaut of the BJP in Bengal. He said that the humungous amount of money amassed by the BJP through electoral bonds is leading to horse-trading in politics, thereby causing irreparable erosion in the political ethos of the country. In Bengal, Yechury said, TMC is not to be left behind. They have indulged in financial scams of enormous scale like Narada, Sarada and countless others. He said, both these evil forces will have to be defeated at the hustings. Yechury said that the people of Bengal do not need a government which divides people based on their religion, caste or creed nor do they need a government which indulges in looting the common people. He said, Bengal needs a government that will work for the welfare of the poorest of the poor, the exploited, and the marginalised people. He said, ‘na lootpat ki, na jatpat ki, Bengal chahiye janhit ki sarkar’. 

The rally was addressed by CPI(M) state secretary Surya Misra, Polit Bureau member Md Salim, CPI general secretary D Raja, CPI state secretary Swapan Banerjee, RSP general secretary Manoj Bhattacharya, Forward Block state secretary Naren Chatterjee, Chattishgarh chief minister Bhupesh Baghel, Congress state president Adhir Chowdhury, ISF leader Abbas Siddiqui, and CPI(M) leader Deblina Hembram. The meeting was presided over by Left Front chairman Biman Basu.

The rally was particularly notable for the presence of huge number of youth and students. They participated in tens of thousands. Even from the stage to ground volunteers, they managed the whole rally. Announcements were managed by eminent actor Badsha Maitra, SFI leaders Dipshita Dhar and Aishee Ghosh. Many cultural activists performed and appealed to the people to support the alliance. In colour and content, this Brigade was unique in congregation of different sections of people. Even the ‘Rainbow’ flags were seen for the first time in a political rally.

This rally has immediately changed the narrative of the binary contest in the state as leaders of the Left and other parties gave the call of ‘Brigade to Booth’.