People's Democracy

Comrade Bidya Debbarma Passes Away

Haripada Das

BIDYA Chandra Debbarma, one of the senior members of the CPI(M) Tripura State Committee and a veteran leader of the Tripura  Rajya Upajati Ganamukti Parishad (GMP) from its formative days,  breathed his last on  June 18 at his Agartala residence, at MLA Hostel. He was 94 and is survived by one son, three daughters, and many relatives. For more than a year, he had been suffering from various ailments due to old age and had  been under treatment in GB Hospital for several times. Immediately after the sad news poured in, hundreds of Party and GMP leaders and workers including Polit Bureau member and chief minister Manik Sarkar rushed to the MLA Hostel to pay respect and have a last glimpse of their beloved leader. A pal of grief set among the common people, as the news of his demise spread throughout the state.

His last journey began from MLA Hostel and proceeded first to CPI(M) state committee office. Baidyanath Majumder draped red flag over his mortal remains and paid floral tributes followed by the putting of GMP flag over his body and homage by Niranjan Debbarma on behalf of the GMP. Later Manik Sarkar, state secretariat members including Bijan Dhar, state committee members, workers of state committee office and Desher Katha staff paid their last respects to the departed leader. From the state committee office, the funeral procession proceeded to the Sadar divisional committee office where divisional leaders including Sadar DC secretary Samar Adhya paid homage with garlands. Thereafter, it proceeded from infront of the Tripura legislative assembly, of which he was a member for six consecutive terms since 1967. The speaker, Ramendra Debnath, deputy speaker Bhanulal Saha, some MLAs and assembly officials paid homage to Comrade Debbarma. In the new capital complex, ministers, high officials and other staff present there paid respects to Comrade Debbarma.

Then the hearse van carrying the body of Comrade Bidya Debbarma started for Khowai divisional committee office, his work place, where he spent most of his life time. A large number of people waited for hours for the arrival of the body of the departed leader. Here, Gautam Das, state secretariat member, who happened to be there for attending the Party DC meeting which was postponed, paid homage to the departed leader.  The divisional committee secretary, Biswajit Datta and many of his colleagues paid floral tributes and bid a tearful farewell to the departed leader. Many of them broke down while parting away from the carriage that carried the body.  Niranjan Debbarma, state secretariat member accompanied the convoy of the late Bidya Debbarma  upto the cremation ground on behalf of the Party state centre. Amidst the roaring of thousands of people, ‘Bidya Debbarma Amar Rahe’  the mortal remains of Bidya Debbarma, a dedicated life for the cause of the common people, was consigned to flames in the afternoon, marking the end of a legend of the state of Tripura.   

The CPI(M) state secretariat in a condolence message said Bidya Debbarma was one of the vanguards in the struggle for transition from monarchy to democracy, a life dedicated for advancement of struggle of the workers, peasantry, and a front ranking leader in the movement for all round progress of the state. He was an excellent Party organiser. He played a commendable role in leading an ideological offensive against the secessionist extremists and preserving the tribal-nontribal unity and amity which ultimately helped in the alienation and surrender of the misguided extremists to a large extent and a big section of them joining the mainstream. The contribution of Comrade Bidya Debbarma in the struggle for socio-economic upliftment of the toiling masses   will remain ever shining in the minds of people of Tripura, the statement said. The state secretariat expressed heartfelt sympathy to his son and daughters and other relatives.