The youth will not forgive opposition : Bhattacharjee

Kolkata, Jun 21(UNI) Vowing not to backout from the path of industrialisation, West Bengal Chief Minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee today called upon the opposition parties to give up resistance to investment in the state.

''I appeal to the opposition not to put obstruction...think again what the consequences will be for opposing for the sake of opposition. The younger generation will not forgive you,'' he said while addressing a function on the occasion of completion of 30 years of the Left Front Government.

Asserting that industrialisation was a must for employment generation for the educated youth, Mr Bhattacharjee said his government would go ahead with its objective keeping in mind the interest of the common man.

''What shall we leave behind for the young people coming from the middle class and families of farmers and workers? We shall have to go ahead keeping them in mind...we shall not backout,'' he said in an obvious reference to the current impasse over Singur and Nandigram.

Asserting that the success in agriculture must be sustained, the Chief Minister said efforts must be made to strengthen the base of industry for overall development by setting up industrial units in the large, medium and small categories.

He observed that the Front Government was in search of an 'alternative Leftist path' in the era of globalisation, and the crux of its objective was to ensure uplift of the poor.

'We are treading an unchartered path. We are looking for an alternative Leftist way which means effecting land reforms for peasants, reopening of closed industrial units and providing jobs to the unorganised workers,'' he said.

Calling it a 'historic day', Mr Bhattacharjee said the Left Front Government managed to sustain for 30 years mainly on the support base of the poor farmers, owning 84 per cent of the total cultivable land in the state.

Describing the opposition as 'irresponsible', veteran Marxist leader Jyoti Basu also appealed to them to cooperate in the process of industrialisation.

''It is unfortunate that we have a very irresponsible opposition in the state. We hope that they will give up opposition to the cause we are working for,'' he said.

The nonagenarian leader, who called for strengthening the unity of the Left Front partners and mass organisations, asked them to be in close touch with the people.

Left Front Chairman Biman Basu and other leaders of Front constituents also addressed the function.

UNI