They recalled his efforts in improving education, healthcare, and industrial development, and how his vision had laid the groundwork for future progress.”The man who taught us to dream has died but this is the day for taking the pledge to fulfil his dream of a better Bengal,” said 23-year-old law student and SFI supporter Ayan Debnath, who came from Santipur, a town 100 kilometres from Alimuddin Street, where the CPI(M) state headquarters is situated in central Kolkata.Arpita Das, a resident of Shyampukur in north Kolkata who termed herself an apolitical person, stood in the more than a kilometre-long queue patiently for over two hours.She said she came to bid adieu to the departed leader out of respect for him as he wanted to develop Bengal.”I admire his personality and simplicity, there will be no other man like him,” said Das, with tears welling up in her eyes.Bhattacharjee, a CPI(M) stalwart, was known for his efforts to industrialise the state, an endeavour that, despite his best intentions, eventually led to the downfall of the Left Front government after 34 years of uninterrupted rule, riding an anti-land acquisition movement.Amita Roy Chowdhury, a CPI(M) supporter from Jadavpur in South Kolkata, said Bhattacharjee was an “honest politician who was also outspoken.” Standing in the queue, Anindya Mukherjee, a resident of Dum Dum in North 24 Parganas district, also said he is not associated with politics but came to pay his last respects to Bhattacharjee as he admired the CPI(M) leader’s simple lifestyle and cultured demeanour.Aditi Chakraborty, who hails from Siliguri in north Bengal and is a post-graduate student of Southeast Asian Studies at Calcutta University, said Bhattacharjee’s brand of politics was an inspiration for her to join the SFI, the students’ wing of CPI(M).
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