Don't know enough history to say anything particularly profound or revealing, but the death of Basu brings to mind the fractured state of electoralish politics in West Bengal.  It has three political forces that make the news - the CPI(M), the Trinamool Congress, and 'the Maoists.'  Next year's election for the state legislature will be an interesting one, and, from what I am told, a lot of people will suffer in the meantime.