CPI-M suspends Ajanta Biswas for 6 months

Kolkata, Aug 22 (IANS) As expected, the CPI(M) has suspended Ajanta Biswas - daughter of the late CPI(M) politburo member and West Bengal state general secretary Anil Biswas for six months from her ranks for her series of articles in the TMC mouthpiece Jago Bangla titled - 'Bongo Rajnitite Narishakti' (The women power in Bengal Politics) where she has discussed the contribution of women politicians in West Bengal from pre-independence up to the present times.

The decision was taken on Saturday by the CPI(M) state committee at its Alimuddin Street headquarters after receiving a report containing Ajanta's reply from the Calcutta District Committee. The demand for action against her was raised by the party's teachers union.

Biswas who teaches history in Rabindra Bharati University as Assistant Professor wrote in her four-part article from Basanti Devi - wife of famous Bengali nationalist leader and advocate Chittaranjan Das who had a huge contribution in Indian Independence movement along with her husband up to Mamata Banerjee - her rise and her contribution in Indian politics.

She wrote at length about Mamata Banerjee's political career and termed the movement in Singur as "gana bikhobh (mass movement)", raising eyebrows. CPM leaders held that the views expressed were not in sync with the party line.

The CPM area committee served her a show-cause notice. In her answer to a show-cause notice, Ajanta expressed remorse for the articles, but the party was not satisfied, sources said.

Initially, she had defended the articles on women politicians in the state.