Glowing tributes to Jyoti Basu; Veteran Marxist leader dead

President Pratibha Patil, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, UPA Chairperson and Congress President Sonia Gandhi joined a host of leaders cutting across party lines who mourned the death of the iconic Marxist leader Jyoti Basu on Sunday.

Following multiple organ failure, Basu, 95, who had been admitted to hospital on January 1 died in Kolkata. Basu, India's longest-serving chief minister who ruled West Bengal for an unbroken 23 years came very close to becoming the Prime Minister in 1996, but was thwarted by the party’s politburo.

The charismatic Marxist veteran, one of the tallest leaders of the Communist movement who strode the political scene like a colossus for over six decades, breathed his last at 11:47 am at the AMRI Hospital on Jan 17, where he had been initially admitted with a pneumonia attack.

"I have a sad announcement to make. Jyoti Basu is no more with us. He has left us. Jyoti Basu is no more in this world," an emotional Left Front chairman Biman Bose, who broke down with tears welling his eyes, said while breaking the news after Basu lost his fortnight-long battle to the respiratory disease that led to complications and multi-organ failure. A pall of gloom descended in Left front-ruled West Bengal after the news of Basu's death. Basu, who was the chief minister from June 21, 1977 to November 6, 2000, will be cremated on Jan 19.

Prime Minister Manmohan Singh in his tribute said Basu was a powerful regional voice in the national political scene. 'Comrade' Basu almost became the prime minister after the 1996 Lok Sabha elections at the head of a Centre-Left coalition, but missed the crown because his CPI-M rejected the offer saying it did not want to participate in the government in which it did not have a majority. Basu himself said later in his famous remark that his party's decision was a "historic blunder."

Jyoti Basu's body was taken to funeral parlour 'Peace Haven' from the hospital where it will be preserved till Tuesday. His body was taken from the hospital shortly after 3 pm and put in a hearse decorated with red flags amidst slogans of 'Jyoti Basu Amar Rahe, Jyoti Basu Lal Salam'.

At many places people lined up to have a last look at their leader. Left Front leaders as well as ordinary people rushed to the hospital to pay homage before a hearse took the body away.
The hearse stopped at the Salt Lake residence of Basu's son Chandan Basu and Indira Bhavan, where the leader lived, before reaching the funeral parlour at Rafi Ahmed Kidwai Street in central Kolkata.

A barrister by profession, Basu also influenced his party to give outside support to the Congress-led UPA government at the Centre in 2004. He is survived by son, Chandan, daughter-in-law and three grandchildren. His wife Kamal had died four years ago.

President Pratibha Patil, Vice President Hamid Ansari and BJP leader L.K. Advani said in his death, the nation had lost an eminent statesman who had earned the unique distinction of being the longest serving Chief Minister.

“During his political career he displayed his abilities as a leader of the people, an able administrator and an eminent statesman,” President Patil said in her condolence message. Vice President Ansari said the sagacity and leadership of the former West Bengal Chief Minister “at both the State and national levels has been a source of inspiration and guidance.”

Advani, who was in Mumbai, said the late Marxist was among the greats. “He was a stalwart... a great leader“. While the Congress said Basu was one of the country’s “worthiest sons”, BJP said he was one of the tallest contemporary leaders of Indian politics.

In a condolence resolution, the CPI(M) said its veteran leader was a Marxist who neither wavered in his convictions nor was dogmatic in his approach, becoming a source of inspiration for the Left movement in the country. The party Polit Bureau said Basu, who joined the Communist Party in 1940, played a significant role in the growth of the party in Bengal and became a symbol of the Left, democratic and secular forces in the country. Communist Party of India (CPI) leader A.B. Bardhan said Basu was "fought to the end. We express our heartfelt sadness on his demise". CPI(M) General Secretary Prakash Karat said an era has passed with the death of Marxist Jyoti Basu and that no one can replace him. Party leader Sitaram Yechury said Basu was a disciplined party member who set an example for all by abiding by party's decision which rejected a proposal to make him Prime Minister in the 1990s though he was in favour of it.

Recounting his close initmacy with Basu, Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee said, "He was a towering personality and perhaps in contemporary politics, there was no other personality as much charismatic as he was.” Mukherjee also recalled the contribution of Basu in formation of the first UPA government supported by Left in 2004. "In fact, he was an architect of the first UPA government in 2004, which was supported by the Left parties from outside.”

Home Minister P. Chidambaram in his tribute said Basu "strode like a colossus on the Indian political scene for several decades. He was a great patriot, a great democrat and a great source of inspiration. External Affairs Minister S.M. Krishna, who was in Kathmandu, said, "The country has lost a steadfast champion of the causes of underprivileged."

Paying glowing tribute to Jyoti Basu, Trinamool Congress chief Mamata Banerjee described him as the “first and last chapter of the Left Front government”. The Railway Minister said she had developed a close intimacy with Basu in the years before his death after he stepped down as chief minister of West Bengal. “We are all deeply shocked at his death”. Basu wanted her to be present at his birthday positively and “I did that rushing from an official programme at Trivandrum”, Banerjee disclosed.

While Janta Dal (United) President Sharad Yadav said Basu's contribution to Indian polity is unparallelled, Lok Janshakti Party chief Ram Vilas Paswan said his passing away marked the end of a chapter of India's political struggle for empowerment of the weaker sections. Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot, Tripura Chief Minister Manik Sarkar, Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister K. Rosaiah, Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, Maharashtra Chief Minister Ashok Chavan
Tamil Nadu Governor Surjit Singh Barnala, Chief Minister M. Karunanidhi, AIADMK supremo J. Jayalalithaa, condoled the death of Basu, describing him as “a charismatic leader” and a pioneer of communist movement in the country. Karunanidhi said, “The news of my friend Basu’s death saddened me.” AIADMK supremo J. Jayalalithaa said, the passing away of 95-year-old Basu has created a deep void in Communist movement. “The people of India have lost a true patriot, a renowned personality and a great humanist.”

- Asaian Tribune -