People's Democracy

National Leaders Condole Comrade Jyoti Basu�s Demise

AMONG those who signed the condolence registers at the CPI(M) headquarters in New Delhi were prime minister Manmohan Singh, vice president M Hamid Ansari, defence minister A K Antony, foreign minister S M Krishna and the ambassadors  of  China, DPRK, Cuba, Laos, Russia, Vietnam, Britain, Iran, Pakistan, Morocco, Palestine, Burma and Sri Lanka, among others. Bangladesh prime minister Mrs Sheikh Hasina Wajed, Congress president Mrs Sonia Gandhi, and a host of other leaders signed the condolence book at the Peace Haven in Kolkata. Messages were received from Mrs Pratiba Devisingh Patil, the president of India, and several other leaders.

Pratiba Devisingh Patil

Shri Jyoti Basu, a towering personality in his own right, was one of the most eminent political figures in post-independent India. Shri Basu was a leader whose appeal was limited not to his state only. As his political career progressed, he was looked upon with great admiration as a statesman, whose advice was sought and respected.

His passing away marks the end of an era and the Nation has suffered an irreparable loss.

M Hamid Ansari

The country mourns the passing away of a patriot and a great statesman.

Dr Mammohan Singh

In the sad demise of Shri Jyoti Basu, our country has lost a great son who was a great statesman and a great patriot. I convey my deepest condolences to the members of the bereaved family and countless admirers, comrades and followers of Shri Basu.

Mrs Sonia Gandhi

On behalf of my party and my own behalf, I deeply mourn the demise of Comrade Basu, a great leader of great vision, political realism, conviction and dedication. He served his people, country and party with a great sense of objective selflessness.

Deve Gowda

There will be no second Jyoti Basu.

Pranab Mukherjee

It is an end of an era.

L K Advani

If the passing away of an individual leader can very correctly be described as 'the end of an era,' it is the demise of Shri Jyoti Basu. A great stalwart of the Marxist movement has passed away. I offer my respectful homage to him, to all his party colleagues, to his son and other family members. My pranams.

Chandrababu Naidu

An irreparable loss.

V R Krishna Iyer

Jyoti Basu was the greatest socialist and most successful administrator in the socialist secular Bharat. In his death, India has lost a powerful Leftist thinker and administrator with a socialist perspective. The development of Bengal, particularly the village owes, its crimson march due to the genius of Jyoti. Indeed, socialist Bengal was invulnerable as a Marxist state because of the vision and scrupulous integrity, simplicity and identity with the masses of Jyoti Basu. It is a pity that Kerala, apart from EMS, has never seen a socialist of his stature. While I pay my homage to this leftist wonder, I feel that leftists all over India must unite to build passionately socialist Bharat in the villages of the country. Death has deprived him of his body but Basu�s thoughts and actions will continue to inspire the common people to make India�s swaraj a crimson economy and spread social justice in planning its development and involving the villages a basic structure of impregnable socialism.