The contemporary political history of Bangla
(West Bengal)

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  The history in general of Bangla (West Bengal)

  Documents for the history of Darjeeling separatism

West Bengal clash

BBC World Service, 19 February 1998. Clash between supporters of the Congress party and the breakaway Trinamool Congress during election campaign (brief).

West Bengal communists face criticised

BBC World Service, 28 August 1998. An internal party report accuses itself of being influenced by vested interests. It was drafted by three party figures known to be opposed to the state's long time chief minister, Jyoti Basu.

Unity for name change in Calcutta: Links with the imperial legacy will go as Calcutta changes its name

By Subir Bhaumik, BBC World Service, 21 July 1999. To appeal to national support vs. New Delhi, the Bangla state assembly decided to rename Calcutta as Kolikata and West Bengal as Bangla.

Marxist party change of guard in W.Bengal

BBC World Service, 16 November 1998. The Communist Party of India Marxist (CPIM) in West Bengal has appointed Anil Biswas as general-secretary, replacing the veteran leader, Sailen Dasgupta. The CPIM, in power in West Bengal for more than twenty years, is challenged by a group of younger party leaders who slowly made their way to the top (brief).

Life imprisonment following Bengal arms drop

BBC World Service, 2 feb 2000. Conviction of a British arms trader and five Latvians of smuggling weapons to a militant Hindu sect in l995 - [it seems they were agents of an imperialist intervention to destabilize the state] (brief).

Veteran communist to step down

BBC News Online 27 oct 2000. The veteran Indian Marxist leader, Jyoti Basu, is to step down from the head of the world's oldest democratically elected communist government. Mr Basu, 87, has been the chief minister of the eastern state of West Bengal for 23 years. Mr Basu's retirement will come as a setback to Bangla's governing Left Front, which faces fresh elections next year.