Comrade Biplab Dasgupta's Death Condoled

COMRADE Biplab Dasgupta, Marxist intellectual, former member of the central committee and the Bengal state committee of the CPI(M) passed away in Kolkata on July 17. He has been suffering from Parkinson’s disease for some time now. The CPI(M) Polit Bureau has expressed its condolences at Comrade Dasgupta’s demise.

Jyoti Basu, Anil Biswas, Biman Basu, and Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee among others have expressed grief at Comrade Dasgupta’s passing away. Condolences have been received from Chittabrata Majumdar, M K Pandhe, and K Varada Rajan. Shyamali Gupta of the AIDWA expressed her condolences at Comrade Dasgupta’s demise.

Born in 1938 in Kolkata, Comrade Biplab Dasgupta took his MA in economics from Calcutta University and went on to complete his PhD from the London School of Economics. He acquired a post-graduate degree in computer science from London University.

A student leader in the 1950s, Comrade Biplab Dasgupta became a member of the CPI in 1955, joining the CPI(M) in 1964. He was elected a member of the state committee in 1980. He became a central committee member of the CPI(M) in 1985. He later retired from both committees because of ill health.

A teacher at London and Sussex universities, Comrade Dasgupta acted as adviser to very many UN bodies including FAO, ILO, UNESCO, UNRI, NRISD, and UNEP between 1972 and 1978.

On coming back to India, Comrade Dasgupta joined the AIKS and became one its joint secretaries between 1986 and 1989. He remained a member of the central council of the AIKS until his death.

A member of the Lok Sabha and later the Rajya Sabha, Comrade Dasgupta was a distinguished speaker especially on economic, fiscal, and financial matters.

As editor of the Bengal CPI(M)’s cultural monthly, Nandan, Comrade Dasgupta was a prolific writer on a variety of subjects beyond his specialisation in economics.

Comrade Dasgupta’s last remains were consigned to flames on the morning of July 19. Earlier, his body remained for two hours at the Muzaffar Ahmad Bhavan where among others Jyoti Basu, Anil Biswas, and Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee and CPI(M) and Left Front leaders paid their last respects. Comrade Dasgupta leaves behind his wife and CITU leader, Arati Dasgupta, and their only son, Samya.

(B Prasant)

Many organisations and leaders have sent  messages of condolence on the  passing away of Comrade Biblab Dasgupta. Here we reproduce some of them:

AIKS

The All India Kisan Sabha deeply mourns the sad demise of  Comrade Biplab Dasgupta, our CKC member and former joint secretary, at Kolkata on July 17. He was actively associated with activities of the AIKS for more than three decades and remained committed to the cause of peasants, agricultural workers and other downtrodden sections through out his life, raising their issues both outside and inside the parliament.

He was a renowned intellectual, whose writings and research works helped the Kisan movement a lot. His death is a great loss to the Kisan movement of the country. The AIKS dips its Red banner in memory of valiant fighter Comrade Biplab Dasgupta and sends its heartfelt condolences to the bereaved family.

H S SURJEET

I am deeply saddened to learn of the death of Comrade Biplab Dasgupta. Though he had been ailing for a long time, I did not expect his demise so suddenly.

I have known Comrade Biplab Dasgupta for a long time. He had impressed me with his intellect and indepth study on a host of issues. He made a sterling contribution as a member of parliament.

I join in mourning his death.

I convey my heartfelt condolences to his wife Arati, his son and all other members of his family.

A B BARDHAN

We are very much grieved to hear about the passing away of Comrade Biplab Dasgupta. We have known him as a very prominent leader of the communist movement from his student days, an economist of repute and a noted intellectual.

On behalf of the national council of the Communist Party of India and on my own behalf, I convey deep condolences to the CPI(M) and to the members of his family.

AIAWU

The All India Agricultural Workers Union (AIAWU) mourns the sudden demise of Comrade Biplab Dasgupta, at the age of 65. A former state committee member of West Bengal and central committee member CPI(M), he was also the All India joint secretary of AIKS. He was elected to the Lok Sabha in 1989 and to the Rajya Sabha in 1992. A student leader of Kolkata University, he got a Phd from the London School of Economics and was a founder member of the Centre of Urban Economics Studies, Kolkata.

His study of the imperialist interests in oil is still considered one of the best works of its kind, as are his studies in developmental economics. His loss will be deeply felt by the exploited and oppressed classes for it was his inspiration that brought a number of student comrades of the universities he taught at, like London, Sussex, JNU and Kolkata, to commit themselves to working among the rural masses and to use their intellect to selflessly further the cause of the toiling people.

But what he will be most remembered for is his simplicity and the ease with which he carried a vast store of intellectual knowledge. We offer our heartfelt condolences to his wife Comrade Arati and his son.

CITU

We regret to learn about the sudden demise of Comrade Biplab Dasgupta on July 17 at Kolkata. Though he was unwell for quite some time, his is a sudden departure from amidst us.

Comrade Dasgupta was a leading figure in the democratic movement of the country and in West Bengal  in particular. As an office-bearer of the AIKS, he played a prominent role in the advancement of the common struggle. He had authored a number of books and contributed several articles on topical issues. His writings had served to highlight the agrarian crisis, penury of the peasantry and the rural distress in the country. His has been an invaluable contribution to the debate of the World Trade Organisation related issues.

He also contributed his best as a member of the central committee of the CPI(M).

On behalf of the CITU secretariat and the staff of the CITU centre, we pay homage to the memory of Comrade Biplab Dasgupta and convey our deep condolences to all the aggrieved comrades and to his wife Comrade Arati and to his son.

DYFI - SFI

The central executive committees of Democratic Youth Federation of India (DYFI) and Students Federation of India (SFI) express their deep condolence at the sudden demise of the senior CPI(M) leader Dr Biplab Dasgupta. Comrade Dasgupta was a well-known economist. He joined politics through the student movement and later became a leader of the Kisan movement. He was a former member of the central committee of the CPI(M). At the time of his death, he was a sitting member of Rajya Sabha. The CECs of DYFI and SFI while expressing grief convey their deep condolences to the democratic movement and to his family members. (INN)