The veteran Marxist leader, Jyoti Basu died due to pneumonia and subsequent multi-organ failure at Kolkata on 17.01 2010.
70 years of the political life of Com: Jyoti Basu started in1936 at London. He was highly inspired by Prof. Harold Lansky’s lecture against fascism, imperialism and colonialism. During this period he engaged in the antifascist movement in Britton and it was the beginning of the great political life of Basu. He became an active member in all the discussion corners of Bel Dais Park, London school of Economics and organizations such as the Federation of Indian Students, India League etc. There he contacted with Communist Party of Great Britton. Gradually, Basu became a communist by the influence of Harry Pole, Rajanipam Datha and Ben Braddly. They were the active communist leaders of Great Britton at that time. In 1940 he became a member of Communist Party. During Second World War, as a communist he led the campaign and raises slogans against the fascist and imperialist movement in India. From 1944 he began his trade union activities by organizing the Bengal railway workers in Bengal-Assam zone. In Bengal Basu became a charismatic leader and conquered the hearts of the poor by initializing the land reform, the agriculture development and the industrial development policies in the state. For the long 27 years under Basu West Bengal grew in to the new heights. He was the last of the nine founding Polit Bureau members of Communist Party of India (Marxist). Along with his strong regional voice he always kept his presence in national politics as a decision maker. His absence will be a great lost for the working class movement in India. We salute com: Basu for the fight he led...and will continue his struggle for the betterment of humanity…
