I would like to draw the attention of the reader to the Centre’s discriminatory attitude towards West Bengal and the general drift of Centre-State relations. After the Left Front come to power in West Bengal in 1977, the demand for a reevaluation of Centre-State ties was made forcefully. Federalism in India had remained only in letter but not in spirit. Power has always been extremely centralised and the Congress governments in the four decades after Independence have made it even more so for their own interests. As a result, the state governments' powers have remains confined only to certain spheres. This is a reality which we all have come to understand. The demand which we had raised when we came to power in Bengal has now become a major issue nationwide. While not many people wanted to accept what we had to say then, entire India has now come alive to this problem. There is no alternative to reevaluation of Centre-State ties for the development and uplift of remote regional areas. States must be given more powers if they are to properly implement policies within the limited format of the bourgeoisie- zamindar political system that is prevalent here. While we made this our major programme when we came to power in 1977 in West Bengal, the fact remains that even during the two previous shortlived United Front governments in this state, we had made similar demands for more powers to fight the discriminatory attitude of the Centre. We have always said that the political plot to keep more and more powers with the Centre should be exposed. Even when we were in the Opposition in the state, we had said that this was a dangerous trend. History has proved us correct.

In March 1958, the state Assembly held a discussion on this issue. The chief minister, during this speech on the Budget, raised his voice against the Centre's discrimation time and again and said that the state must be given its due share. We must appreciate Dr Roy’s role in the context since he was a member of the highest committee of the Congress which was in power at the Centre.

On March 7, 1958, Deben Sen of the PSP initiated the debate in the state Assembly on the Second Finance Commission Report. I also took part in the debate. I extract here part of my speech:

"It is surprising and at the same time worthy of criticism that neither the Indian government nor the other Central Commissions have paid any respect to the various issues and demands of West Bengal. We do have reports and this has been said in the Assembly too that West Bengal is prone to many problems. But I wonder for how long West Bengal will have to forego its due share in the name of Indian unity and sovereignty. I would not have said all this unless Partition, particularly the creation of West Bengal, had not dealt such a severe blow to this state. We do not want sympathy from the Indian government. What we want is justice and fulfillment of our rightful demands. I will never want or demand that the needs of any other state suffer because of West Bengal. The problems have not been created by the people of this state, but this has been the price that West Bengal has had to pay because of Partition. It is unfortunate that the Central government does not want to give any special status to this problem.

"Dr Bidhan Chandra Roy has criticised the Centre on many occasions, he has also pointed out the faults in the Finance Commission's attitude. Even then, nothing has been done. If this Assembly believes all that is being said and regards this problem as serious, then the least we can do is to take a deputation to the Union Government where we can place the case of the state. Then we will be able to tell the Union Government that this deputation has come on the strength of a consensus and it would thus be obligatory on the part of the government and the President to appoint a Finance Commission or take any other step so that the sufferings of West Bengal and its people are alleviated. Sadly, the chief minister has never given our demands any importance. I believe that if we accept this proposal, then it will only bolster his arguments and that this would be one of the few issues on which we see eye to eye with the state government.

"The chief minister has said in his speech, `It is not expected that the state governments should be a subservient to the whims and fancies of the Union Government.' I think that this is a unanimous attitude and decision of this Assembly."

Dr Roy’s Budget speech which referred to the Second Fiannce Commission Report was in fact quite positive. He had said, "The tax structure pertaining to the Centre and states has given rise to an excessive pressure on the industrially developed states and proved extra advantageous for the agriculturally stronger regions. To solve this imbalance, there is a need for a proper income tax distribution system. There has been talk of taxes on the jute industry with regard to West Bengal. But if we do not have access to the advantages of the income tax revenue, then this imbalance will never be corrected; in fact, it will be more accentuated."

Dr Roy concluded saying, "The question of self-dependence has never been raised seriously and all importance has been paid only on the growth of the population." I had congratulated Dr Roy on his Budget speech. I said, "Dr Roy’s speech is an informative criticism of the Finance Commission Report. I believe that any rational individual will accept the contents of his speech. But as far as I know, the Union government has not accepted this criticism and acted on it as of now."