AIFB rally in Nandigram was 'right decision': Ashok Ghosh

Kolkata, Dec 25 (UNI) Justifying the December 23 rally in Nandigram, All India Forward Bloc (AIFB) state secretary Ashok Ghosh today said the holding of the procession was a ''right decision''.

''(Jyoti) Basu is a veteran Marxist leader and I don't know what he has said. But the AIFB rally in Nandigram was the right decision and we would have committed a great mistake had we not held the rally there,'' Mr Ghosh told newspersons, responding to the charges made by former chief minister against the AIFB yesterday.

Mr Ghosh said after the March 14 incident in Nandigram, it was decided in the Left Front meeting that a peace initiative would have to be initiated at social, political and economic levels in the area.

But the decision was not implemented, the AIFB leader said.

''We have also asked the Left Front chairman Biman Bose for sending a Front delegation to Nandigram to see the affected people of the area and for taking measures for peace process,'' Mr Ghosh said, adding ''He told me that the discussion was going on at the district level but that too was not implemented'' He said the way the administration and the party cadres took action to restore peace and control over Nandigram on November 9 and 11 was not acceptable to his party.

''We had also asked in the Left Front meeting to take decision unitedly in the presence of Mr Basu but it was not done, so we were bound to hold the rally in Nandigram and it was a right decision,'' Mr Ghosh said.

''We have already sent letters to various political parties and would send the same to Mr Basu also within a day or two,'' he added.

UNI