People's Democracy

COMRADE BHUBANESWAR DEY

COMRADE Bhubaneswar Dey, one of the veteran founder leaders of the employees and teachers movement in Tripura and former state committee member of the Party passed away at SSKM hospital in Kolkata on November 25. He was 73 and is survived by his wife, two sons and innumerable admirers and followers. Comrade Dey had been suffering from heart ailment and diabetes in the recent past. His body was flown to Agartala the same evening and was laid to rest in the TGEA (Tripura Government Employees Association) office, which was his organisational work centre for several decades. Badal Chowdhury, Gautam Das, both state secretariat members along with many other comrades paid homage to Comrade Dey in the presence of hundreds of employees leaders and workers.

The funeral procession with mortal remains of Comrade Dey on the next day was attended by hundreds of Party workers and employee activists. The procession spiraled through Agartala Town and reached the CPI(M) Tripura state committee office. Party state secretary Baidyanath Majumder draped over the Red flag over the body of Comrade Dey. In the presence of hundreds of followers and admirers, he was consigned to flames in Bat-tala burning ghat of Agartala.

Comrade Dey was born on January 1, 1933 at Belagarh of Chandpur District of undivided Bengal, now Bangladesh. After completing school education in East Pakistan, he migrated to Agartala and got admitted in MBB college, where he emerged as a leader of the students movement. In 1952 parliament election, he worked for the communist party risking his academic carreer. Then in 1954 he joined in government service from where he retired in 1990. While in service, he had to face wrath of the then hostile Congress government which was steam-rolling over the employees legitimate rights both economic and organizational. In 1975 he was served with dismissal notice for his leading role in organising the famous continuous strike of employees which resulted in a total collapse of administration for a fortnight. Still he could not be bowed down. The CPI(M)-CFD coalition government in 1977 withdrew his retrenchment. Since 1972 to 1991, he was general secretary of Tripura Government Employees Association (TGEA). He attained membership of CPI(M) in 1967. He was included in party state committee in 15th state conference in 1995. In 17th state conference in 2002, he was relieved of this assignment due to deteriorating health condition. Even with broken health he discharged his duties towards the Party to the best of his capacity.

The CPI(M) Tripura state secretariat and chief minister Manik Sarkar condoled Comrade Dey's death in separate statements saying he was an undisputed leader of the employee masses of the state.