Jyoti Basu’s Man Friday now a loner

Kolkata, July 8 (IANS) Every alternate day Joy Krishna Ghosh visits Indira Bhavan and spends a long time in the room where Jyoti Basu spent his later years. Ghosh, the Man Friday of the late Communist patriarch for 33 years, would reminisce about his days with the legendary politician.

Having spent an eventful three decade first as Jyoti Basu’s confidential assistant when the leader straddled West Bengal’s political stage as chief minister – the longest stint in India – and then as his personal assistant after he stepped down in November 2000, Ghosh now has plenty of free time.

“Jyoti Basu will always remain in my heart. Since 1977 I had been with him.

Still on alternate days I visit Indira Bhavan,” said Ghosh, whom Basu used to affectionately call ‘Joy’.

“As I am associated with the CPI-M (Communist Party of India-Marxist), I do some organisational work for the party. But on a routine basis I visit Indira Bhavan; I visit the room where Jyoti Babu used to stay,” Ghosh told IANS.

For the last few days, Ghosh has been busy making preparations for the 96th birth anniversary of the Marxist patriarch in Indira Bhavan. It will be the Communist poster boy’s first birth anniversary after his demise.

Ghosh had been associated with Jyoti Basu since 1977, the year he became chief minister, and remained his closest aide till the nonagenarian slipped into a coma in hospital where he died Jan 17, 2010.

Jyoti Basu had handpicked Ghosh as his confidential assistant. It was a political appointment, but Ghosh functioned more like a bureaucrat.

He exerted colossal clout in the corridors of powers in West Bengal and finalised Basu’s appointments. He communicated between the Chief Minister’s Office and the CPI-M state headquarters at Alimuddin Street.

After Basu stepped down as chief minister, Ghosh was officially designated his personal assistant for life. He had a chamber at Indira Bhavan, a swanky government guest house in posh Salt Lake and was provided with a car.

He looked after Basu’s household matters, office and visitors.

It was his duty to make the visitors feel at home whenever they came to visit Basu.

“I received his love, trust and companionship. I am really lucky that I had spent so many years with a leader of such a stature. He always used to think about the betterment of people. Jyoti Basu is Jyoti Basu,” said the 64-year old Ghosh.

Jyoti basu was so fond of his aide that that when Ghosh was assaulted by the police during the Salt Lake municipal elections of 2005, he minced no words in a rare criticism of the state administration.

“Police have beaten up the boy. It can’t happen without instructions from Writers’ Buildings (state secretariat).”

Everyone got the message.