Intellectuals stand by Mamata, ask voters to shun Left

Activists, writers and artistes, holding prominent space in Bengal's literary circles - have jointly extending their support to Mamata Banerjee in upcoming assembly election, hitting at the CPI(M) led Left Front.

A joint statement issued on Tuesday on behalf of eminent people, popularly tagged as 'intellectuals', like Mahasweta Devi, Debabrata Bandopadhyay, Sunanda sanyal, Tarun Sanyal, Bibhash Chakraborty, Shaoli Mitra and many others bashed the cPI(M) and its 34-year rule in Bengal and seeing Mamata as the frontrunner of the much talked 'change'.

Intellectuals also addressed a press conference at Press Club, Kolkata - where they expressed their dislike for the CPI(M) and intend to see 'change' in Bengal through a change in political leadership.

"The CPI(M) led Left Front must go and some of us believe that they are no more left...any change will be suitable for Bengal's future," Bibhas Chakraborty, reputed theatre personality, told Business Standard.

Usually expected to maintain neutral stand in public life, many people who have made a mark in their respective fields, have refused to maintain neutral stand and mere desire for change. "You can't be neutral at this juncture, if you want a change," Abhirup Sarkar, economist, said.

Known for his close proximity to the Trinamool, painter Subhaprasanna believes that opinions expressed by socially eminent people matter for the voter: "People have certain faith in us, that's why people are listening to our voices."

Intellectuals, claiming to represent different walks of life, have been pivotal in building public opinion through public meetings and via media. However, this time, the common voter is apparently more informed about his rights than ever before.