Bengal Governor signs out, warning politicians

Kolkata: West Bengal Governor Gopal Krishna Gandhi ended his controversial five-year tenure on Sunday, requesting political parties and Maoists to revive the state from the “debris” of violence.

"Unless all inter-party, inter-cadre or inter-supporter violence is halted, West Bengal will suffer irretrievable damage. All political organizations must together bring West Bengal out of the debris of 'bhangchur' (damaging property), bandhs and ‘bomabaji’ (bombings)," said Gandhi in his farewell message.

“The choice before West Bengal should not be between the wrongdoing of one and the counter wrong-doing of another. The choice has to be between chaos and civility, disorder and decorum.”

Gandhi warned the state would suffer if political parties didn’t give up violence. “No party should countenance the use of unauthorised arms and all provocations, in word and deed, across the political spectrum, must cease,” said Gandhi, the grandson of Mahatma Gandhi.

The outgoing Governor said Maoist violence in the state was against democracy. He cited the example of the armed wing of African National Congress--the 'MK’--that was disbanded by the ANC after it realised that violence futile and counter-productive.

"The ANC disbanded the MK and returned to the political path, which, as we all know, resulted in the ending of apartheid, the ascent of the ANC to popular office and the miracle of reconciliation. Without a democratic mass movement, such violence can only hurt innocents and itself."

"Maoists should ponder whether the ANC's redemptive history carries a lesson for them or not."

Gandhi, a former IAS officer and diplomat, took over as Governor on December 14, 2004 and found his tenure coinciding with the most volatile period the state has seen in three decades: peasant unrest fuelled in Singur and Nandigram and largescale political clashes.

IANS reports Gandhi's hard-hitting statements after the police lathi-charge on protestors in Nandigram, the ruling Communist Party of India-Marxist's bid to regain the turf through violence, as also escalating political violence after the April-May Lok Sabha election prompted angry reactions from the Communist-led Left Front government.

The Marxists questioned his impartiality and accused him of playing politics.

(With inputs from PTI and IANS)