People's Democracy

TRIPURA

 Comrade Gourkanti Goswami Passes Away

 Haripada Das

COMRADE Gourkanti Goswami, CPI(M) Tripura  state committee ,ember, a long time Subroom divisional committee secretary, and former member of Tripura  legislative assembly, had breathed his last in a nursing home at Kolkata  on  December 23 morning. He was 63 and a bachelor. For last several years, he was severely suffering from diabetes which damaged both of his kidneys. In 2006, he underwent a kidney transplantation operation in CMC, Vellore, where a kidney was donated by his cousin sister Sabita Goswami, a whole-timer of the Party. Ignoring deteriorating health condition, he again fully engrossed himself with Party work and led the whole campaign during the assembly election in 2008 traveling round the entire sub-division. But this over strenuous lifestyle did not suit his transplanted kidney for which he recently required taking dialysis. Only in last November, he was relieved of the responsibility from the post of secretary of the Subroom divisional committee, which he was successfully shouldering since 1978. He was shifted to Kolkata on December 20 for better treatment, but he could not return alive.

A pal of grief spread over the state when the sad news of his demise poured in. Red flags were kept half mast in all the Party offices of the state on December 23-24, 2009. The state committee meeting of the Party, which was scheduled on  December 23 afternoon, passed a condolence resolution on the demise of its long time colleague and observed one minute silence in honour of the memory of the late leader. The body of Comrade Goswami was flown back to Agartala airport in the same evening. The Patry state secretariat member, Narayan Kar and state committee member, Jitendra Chowdhury received the body at the Airport. At 7.00 pm in the evening the coffin of the late leader reached the state committee office. All the state committee members, including Party senior leader Baidyanath Majumder, Polit Bureau member Manik Sarkar, Party secretary Bijan Dhar, Central Committee members and state secretariat members paid floral tributes to the mortal remains of Comrade Goswami. Baidyanath Majumder draped the Party flag over the body. The staff of the state Party centre and daily Desher Katha office also paid homage to Comrade Goswami. His body was laid to rest at the Sadar divisional committee office on December 23 night. Before that, the mortal remains of Comrade Goswami were taken to Tripura legislative assembly where Bhanulal Saha, deputy speaker and other officials and staff of the assembly paid homage to the departed legislator.

 On 24^th morning, in the presence of hundreds of Party leaders and workers, his body was given a mournful farewell and was carried to Subroom, his own sub-division, the  main workplace of his struggle and leadership. On way to Subroom, hundreds of people thronged to have a last glimpse of the departed leader at each point of divisional and local Party offices. The state secretariat  member Narayan Kar and state Committee member Jitendra Chowdhury accompanied the hearse van that carried the body of Comrade Goswami to Subroom.

In Subroom, the coffin of the beloved leader was first brought to his residence and then to the Subroom district committee office which witnessed the able leadership of Comrade Goswami for long thirty years or more. Here, thousands of people, from near and far flung areas of the sub-division gathered earlier to pay last respect to the departed leader. They gave a mournful farewell to their leader at the cremation ground.   In the afternoon, his body was consigned to flames.

The state committee in its condolence attributed Comrade Goswami as one of the dedicated leaders having the quality of able leadership in building Party organisation and leading mass movement. His simplicity and polite dealing with the people is exemplary. Expressing deep grief for Comrade Goswami, chief minister Manik Sarkar in his condolence remembered his contribution during stormy days of students� movement in Tripura during the late 60s and early 70s. Afterwards, he joined the Party and opted to work in Subroom where, the Party was then very weak. His able leadership succeeded in expanding the base of the Party there, and he played an important role in keeping the unity and amity of the tribals and non-tribals in the sub-division ushering in development. He also remembered his contribution in the legislative house.

Born in a most orthodox �Brahmin� family in 1946, Comrade Goswami first broke off his conservative family barrier and ultimately turned the entire family into a Party family. He was one of the front ranking leaders during the turmoil days of students� movement in late 60s. In 1968, he joined the CPI(M). In 1975, during the emergency period, he had to go underground for 20 months to avert arrest. In 1978, he became the secretary of the Party Subroom divisional committee as well as member of the state committee which he held till his last breath. Comrade Goswami toiled hard and succeeded in expanding the Party base in Subroom which was a very weak unit when he got hold of the steering wheel of the unit.  He was an elected member of Tripura legislative assembly in 1998.