Veteran Communist leader Jyoti Basu dead
Kolkata, Jan 17 (ANI): Veteran Marxist leader and former West Bengal Chief Minister Jyoti Basu died at the AMRI Hospital of multiple-organ failure at 11.47 a.m. on Sunday. He was 95.
Basu was admitted to the hospital on January 1 with acute respiratory failure bordering on pneumonia. He was also undergoing treatment at the hospital for age-related ailments.
On Friday, doctors at the hospital said in a medical bulletin that his condition was very critical and hope for his survival was receding.
Basu served as the Chief Minister of West Bengal for 24 years from 1977 to 2000.
Born on July 8, 1914, Jyoti Kiran Basu's name was shortened by his father to Jyoti.
In 1996, Basu seemed all set to become the first Communist Prime Minister of India. However, the CPI (M) Politburo decided not to participate in the government, a decision that Basu later termed as a historic blunder. (ANI)
End of an era: Left and Indian political colossus Jyoti Basu passes away
Kolkata, Jan 17 (ANI): Veteran Marxist leader and former West Bengal Chief Minister Jyoti Basu died at the AMRI Hospital of multiple-organ failure at 11.47 a.m. on Sunday. He was 95.
"Jyoti Basu is no more," said party state secretary Biman Bose.
Basu was admitted to the hospital on January 1 with acute respiratory failure bordering on pneumonia. He was also undergoing treatment at the hospital for age-related ailments.
Born on July 8, 1914, Jyoti Kiran Basu's name was shortened by his father to Jyoti.
In 1996, Basu seemed all set to become the first Communist Prime Minister of India. However, the CPI (M) Politburo decided not to participate in the government, a decision that Basu later termed as a historic blunder.
Basu was elected to the Bengal Legislative Assembly in 1946, contesting the Railway constituency. He served as Leader of Opposition for a long time when Dr. Bidhan Chandra Roy was the Chief Minister of West Bengal.
Basu's admirable eloquence both as an M.L.A and the Leader of Opposition drew the attention of Dr. B. C. Roy, who had a strong affection for this young leader though his stand was completely against the policies of the then State Government.
He led several agitations against the State Government and earned an enviable reputation as a politician, particularly among students and youth.
Beside organising the movements of railway labourers, he led a historical movement of teachers who were protesting against their meagre salary.
Between 1967 and 1969, Basu was the Deputy Chief Minister of West Bengal in the United Front governments. He worked under Chief Minister Ajay Mukhopadhay.
When the Congress returned to power in West Bengal in 1972 under Siddhartha Shankar Ray, Basu faced defeat in the Baranagar Assembly Constituency and complained about unprecedented rigging. His Party CPI (M), decided to boycott the Assembly till a fresh election was conducted in 1977.
From June 21, 1977 to November 6, 2000, Basu served as the Chief Minister of West Bengal of various Left Front governments. In 1996, Basu almost became of Prime Minister of India.
Basu resigned as Chief Minister of West Bengal in 2000 for health reasons, and was succeeded by fellow CPI (M) politician Buddhadeb Bhattacharya.
The 18th Congress of CPI (M), held in Delhi in 2005, re-elected Basu to its Politburo, although he had asked to be allowed to retire from it. On September 13, 2006, Basu entreated the CPI (M) to allow his retirement due to his age, but the resign was turned down.
At the 19th Congress in early April 2008, Basu was not included in the Politburo, although he remained a member of the Central Committee and was designated as Special Invitee to the Politburo. (ANI)
Basu a powerful regional voice in national political scene: PM
Describing Jyoti Basu as a powerful regional voice in the national political scene, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on Sunday said he had turned to the veteran Marxist leader on many occasions for his advice on important issues and the response was always pragmatic.
Singh said the death of the 95-year-old CPI(M) leader marked the end of an era in the annals of Indian politics. He was a man of great integrity with a deep commitment to secular values, the Prime Minister said in his condolence message.
"In a political career spanning more than six decades, the veteran communist leader steered his party to power in West Bengal, leaving a legacy of uninterrupted rule by the Left Front that he forged through his leadership and legendary skills in building consensus," he said.
Observing that during his more than 20 years at the helm of affairs in West Bengal, Basu proved himself to be one of the most able administrators and politicians of independent India, Singh said he was "a powerful regional voice in the national political scene and helped to strengthen Indian federalism."
"Shri Basu will be remembered by the people of West Bengal for bringing stability and order to the State after the turbulent period of the early 70s and for the rural transformation he brought about through his visionary land reforms and his style of democratic and decentralized governance," Singh said.
End of an era: Left and Indian political colossus Jyoti Basu passes away
ANISun, Jan 17 01:15 PM
Kolkata, Jan 17 (ANI): Veteran Marxist leader and former West Bengal Chief Minister Jyoti Basu died at the AMRI Hospital of multiple-organ failure at 11.47 a.m. on Sunday. He was 95.
"Jyoti Basu is no more," said party state secretary Biman Bose.
Basu was admitted to the hospital on January 1 with acute respiratory failure bordering on pneumonia. He was also undergoing treatment at the hospital for age-related ailments.
Born on July 8, 1914, Jyoti Kiran Basu's name was shortened by his father to Jyoti.
In 1996, Basu seemed all set to become the first Communist Prime Minister of India. However, the CPI (M) Politburo decided not to participate in the government, a decision that Basu later termed as a historic blunder.
Basu was elected to the Bengal Legislative Assembly in 1946, contesting the Railway constituency. He served as Leader of Opposition for a long time when Dr. Bidhan Chandra Roy was the Chief Minister of West Bengal.
Basu's admirable eloquence both as an M.L.A and the Leader of Opposition drew the attention of Dr. B. C. Roy, who had a strong affection for this young leader though his stand was completely against the policies of the then State Government.
He led several agitations against the State Government and earned an enviable reputation as a politician, particularly among students and youth.
Beside organising the movements of railway labourers, he led a historical movement of teachers who were protesting against their meagre salary.
Between 1967 and 1969, Basu was the Deputy Chief Minister of West Bengal in the United Front governments. He worked under Chief Minister Ajay Mukhopadhay.
When the Congress returned to power in West Bengal in 1972 under Siddhartha Shankar Ray, Basu faced defeat in the Baranagar Assembly Constituency and complained about unprecedented rigging. His Party CPI (M), decided to boycott the Assembly till a fresh election was conducted in 1977.
From June 21, 1977 to November 6, 2000, Basu served as the Chief Minister of West Bengal of various Left Front governments. In 1996, Basu almost became of Prime Minister of India.
Basu resigned as Chief Minister of West Bengal in 2000 for health reasons, and was succeeded by fellow CPI (M) politician Buddhadeb Bhattacharya.
The 18th Congress of CPI (M), held in Delhi in 2005, re-elected Basu to its Politburo, although he had asked to be allowed to retire from it. On September 13, 2006, Basu entreated the CPI (M) to allow his retirement due to his age, but the resign was turned down.
At the 19th Congress in early April 2008, Basu was not included in the Politburo, although he remained a member of the Central Committee and was designated as Special Invitee to the Politburo. (ANI)
There will be none like Jyoti Basu again, says Karat
Indo Asian News ServiceSun, Jan 17 03:23 PM
New Delhi, Jan 17 (IANS) 'There will be none like Jyoti Basu again.' This is how Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPI-M) general secretary Prakash Karat Sunday saluted a man he prevented from becoming the prime minister in 1996.
Karat, who influenced the CPI-M to block Basu from taking charge of the United Front government in 1996, said that the former West Bengal chief minister 'was a great leader of the CPI-M, the Left movement and India. With his passing away, an era has passed.
'Seventy years of public life and political activity marked him out, at the time of his death, as the most distinguished Left leader of the country. An ardent Communist, he was one of the few political leaders in independent India who actually deepened democracy, strengthened secularism and brought the working people to the centre-stage of Indian politics.
'As chief minister of West Bengal for a record 23 years, his lasting contributions were land reforms, which gave land and security of tenure to millions of peasants, the vitalization of panchayat institutions, and the creation of an enduring atmosphere of secularism in the state.
'He taught Communists how to work and serve the people in parliamentary forums in order to bring about changes in public policy... Basu became a symbol of Left, democratic and secular forces.
'Although he died at the age of 95, he leaves us bereft - because there will be none like Jyoti Basu again.'
Farooq Abdullah, Azad condole Basu's death
Indo Asian News ServiceSun, Jan 17 02:54 PM
New Delhi, Jan 17 (IANS) National Conference leader Farooq Abdullah and Health Minister Ghulam Nabi Azad Sunday condoled the death of Jyoti Basu and said the leading light of the Communist movement in India would be missed.
Abdullah, who is the minister of new and renewable energy, said he would miss the leader who had helped in nation-building.
'I will miss him tremendously,' an emotional Abdullah said. 'To the people of West Bengal, I will say he has contributed for a strong India.'
Abdullah said the veteran leader and Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPI-M) were hit hard by four mistakes - Basu not becoming prime minister in 1996, the CPI-M not working in tandem with the Congress party, the rapid industrialization policy of the current chief minister in West Bengal and the acquisition of farmers land.
Senior Congress leader and Health Minister Ghulam Nabi Azad also expressed 'deep sorrow' and said Basu was an idealogical sage.
'Jyoti babu was not only one of the longest serving chief ministers in the country but also an extremely popular mass leader,' Azad said in his condolence message.
'He was among the leading lights of the Left movement in the country. In his death we have lost one of our tallest national leaders and an ideological sage who always worked for the downtrodden,' the former Jammu and Kashmir chief minister said.
Basu was architect of modern West Bengal: Achuthanandan
Indo Asian News ServiceSun, Jan 17 02:51 PM
Alappuzha (Kerala), Jan 17 (IANS) Kerala Chief Minister V.S. Achuthanandan Sunday termed Communist veteran Jyoti Basu's death 'a great loss' and described him as the architect of modern Bengal.
'He is the seniormost member in our party and his loss is going to be a great loss for the Communist movement. Even though (he was) born into a rich family and studied abroad to be a barrister, he returned to the country and started building the party which he did by working in the villages,' Achuthanandan told reporters in his hometown near here.
He added that Basu was the founder of the Centre of Indian Trade Union and he did a lot for West Bengal, specially bringing in land reforms.
'He created the Bengal that is seen today and also was instrumental in floating the Third Alternative, besides giving a significant push to take the party to the national level,' said Achuthanandan, who has served in the Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPI-M) politburo along with Basu for long.
Achuthanandan had earlier this month visited Basu in hospital.
CPI-M state secretary Pinarayi Vijayan described Basu as a legendary Communist who gave his life and worked hard to uplift the poor and downtrodden.
Justice (Retd) V.R. Krishna Iyer, who was the law and irrigation Minister in the first elected Communist government in 1957 led by E.M.S. Nampoothiripad here, said Basu's loss was an irreparable loss for the country.
'If you ask me to name a socialist thinker, I will have no hesitation to say it is Basu. He was a thinker who worked in the villages,' said Iyer.
The CPI-M has directed all party flags to be flown at half mast across the state.
I lost my father again: Somnath
Indo Asian News ServiceSun, Jan 17 02:51 PM
Kolkata, Jan 17 (IANS) Former Lok Sabha speaker Somnath Chatterjee Sunday mourned the death of Communist patriarch Jyoti Basu, saying he had lost someone like his father.
'When things started to go bad (in Left front), he was sad. He was sad about what happened with me. I used to consult him on all matters. For the second time, I have lost somebody like my father,' said an emotional Chatterjee.
'He was extremely affectionate to me,' Chatterjee added. 'Whatever little I have been able to achieve is only because of him.'
Chatterjee said that former prime minister Indira Gandhi 'had the highest respect for him and consulted him on many matters'.
Basu was an iconic figure: Patnaik
Indo Asian News ServiceSun, Jan 17 02:44 PM
Bhubaneswar, Jan 17 (IANS) Calling Communist patriarch Jyoti Basu an 'iconic' public and political figure, Orissa Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik Sunday condoled his death.
'He was an iconic figure in public life and polity of India... We will all remember him with great respect. He was of another generation but he certainly spanned a large period of the history of independent India,' the chief minister said.
Man who defeated Basu pays rich tributes
Indo Asian News ServiceSun, Jan 17 02:42 PM
Kolkata, Jan 17 (IANS) The man who handed out Jyoti Basu his only electoral defeat acknowledged Basu's greatness Sunday, saying he was 'one of the greatest Communist leaders ever born in India'.
Basu, who died here Sunday after a prolonged illness, was defeated in elections only once - in 1972 by Shibapada Bhattacharya, a Communist Party of India (CPI) activist.
Bhattacharya defeated Basu by over 40,000 votes from Baranagar assembly seat in North 24 Parganas. Basu had by then won six consecutive elections from Baranagar (1952-1971).
Bhattacharya told IANS: 'He (Jyoti Basu) was one of the greatest Communist leaders ever born in India. He was a master of parliamentary democracy.'
Bhattacharya vividly remembers the moment in 1972 when the results were announced.
He said: 'I was always confident of my victory but was also bit nervous as I was up against a man who was considered invincible.'
Basu and Bhattacharya had been comrade-in-arms till the split in the CPI in 1964. Then Basu joined the Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPI-M).
Bhattacharya, who had been Basu's aide during the latter's election campaigns until 1964, recalled: 'Before the split I used to look after his (Basu's) electioneering. I was moved by his cool temperament and observational skills. During those days, Basu didn't have the political stature he came to enjoy later.'
After the Left Front took power in West Bengal in 1977, Basu took over as chief minister. The CPI joined the grouping in 1980.
'As chief minister and a senior leader of the ruling left front, Basu visited Baranagar several times to attend public rallies and meetings. Both of us shared dais but we hardly spoke,' said Bhattacharya.
Thanks & Regard's,
MURALI...
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