Obituary

Com. Bani Bhattacharya breathed her last at her home in Subhasgram, Kolkata on 5 June 2023 at 91. She stayed safe and kept well through the successive waves of the Covid19 pandemic, but lately old age had started catching up. She was the mother of comrade Dipankar Bhattacharya.

Comrade Rohit Bisht who was a member of the party and also associated with AISA and AICCTU passed away in Bengaluru on May 20, 2023. As part of AICCTU, He was working amongst migrant workers in Bengaluru, and was instrumental in organising the struggle of Yazaki workers who were retrenched. He was also a convening body member of AISA Bengaluru and played a leading role in bringing out Spark, the monthly magazine of AISA Bengaluru.

Comrade Tota Choudhary, a popular leader who was instrumental in building the movement of urban poor in Bihar passed away on May 19 at the age of 67.

Veteran CPIML leader from Champaran and ex-member of district committee, Com. Kedar Prasad breathed his last at Jitpur, Nepal. He was 74 and suffered a heart attack. He was associated with the party structure since 1980-81. He played a leading role in organizing the rural poor and labourers in undivided Champaran. He worked as a whole-time activist. During 1983-84, when anarchist elements were active to create division within the party, Com. Kedar championed the official party line among the masses.

On 4 August 2003, in a brazen travesty of justice, Comrade Shah Chand and thirteen other comrades of Arwal-Jahanabad region were sentenced under fake TADA case to life imprisonment. One of them, Com. Madhav Chaudhary (62), who was still imprisoned passed away on April 8 in a hospital in Patna.

CPIML is deeply saddened by the demise of Professor MN Karna, eminent sociologist, former director of AN Sinha Institute and VC of North Eastern Hill University. With his passing we have lost a great friend of the communist and socialist movement in Bihar. We pay our respectful tribute to the great scholar and express deep condolences to the bereaved members of his family.

Comrade Prabhu Dayal, Mathura district committee member of CPIML in Uttar Pradesh passed away due to heart attack on March 2, 2023 at the age of 70. He was long associated with CPIML and had been a mass leader always standing at the forefront of people's struggle. His funeral witnessed hundreds of people paying tributes to the departed leader. Com. Nasir Shah, CPIML standing committee member in UP, district secretary Giridhar Lal Chaturvedi and other party leaders and cadres saluted Com. Prabhu Dayal on his last journey.

Comrade M. Dhana Babu passed away on 2 February. He was a district committee member of CPIML in Kakinada. He was admitted in hospital for a few days after his sugar levels and blood pressure shot up to very high levels. His passing is a big loss for the party in Andhra Pradesh. We salute his contributions and sacrifices and convey our condolences to his bereaved family and friends.

Comrade Laxman Bedia, leader of Jharkhand General Mazdoor Union and a long time party activist died on 3 January in Ramgarh. He was suffering from cancer for some time but still was actively working and involved in the preparations for the forthcoming Party Congress. He suddenly experienced difficulty in breathing and succumbed before he could be taken to a referral hospital in Ranchi as advised by his doctors.

Comrade Harishankar Mall died in Deoria in his village on 11 December. He was 81. He was a veteran of the communist movement and district committee member of CPIML. He worked all his life for the people and for the communist party. He had joined CPI in his youth and participated in many anti-feudal struggles. Later he became disillusioned and inactive for a few years. He was inspired by the struggle of landless villagers in Bhatpar Rani area under CPIML leadership, and joined CPIML in 1995 and remained active till his last.