GLOWING tributes were paid to Comrade Rattan Singh, veteran CPI(M) leader of Punjab who had expired on December 16, 2015 at Chandigarh, at a condolence meeting held at Derabasi on January 5, 2016.

A large number of  party members , leaders of other political parties from Punjab and hundreds of party sympathisers and  people from surrounding villages participated  in the condolence meeting . S Ramachandran Pillai, Polit Bureau member of CPI(M) specially reached Derabasi to pay tributes to the veteran leader. State secretary Charan SinghVirdi, Vijay Misra, Central Committee member,  Bhoop Chand Channo, Sukhwinder Singh Sekhon, Ram Singh Noorpuri, state secretariat members and  many state committee members  were present. Leaders from CPI, CPM Punjab, Akali Dal, Congress, Aam Aadmi Party and other parties attended the meeting.

S Ramachandran Pillai, while addressing the meeting said that the Party recognises the contributions of Comrade Rattan Singh. He conveyed condolences to the Punjab Party and to the family members of the comrade. He told that Comrade Rattan Singh led an exemplary life and held high the communist way of life. Pillai termed his devotion and commitment to the cause of the toiling masses as a great inspiration for the young workers of the Party. He felt that at the present juncture when the working class is under multi pronged attacks of the neo-liberal policies, communal forces and imperialism, we need thousands of comrades like Comrade Rattan Singh.  He said that the Party and the democratic movement has suffered a big loss due to  his death.

Charan Singh Virdi, speaking on the occasion explained about the exemplary life of Comrade Rattan Singh. He told that Comrade Rattan Singh was unanimously elected as the sarpanch of his village, Hebatpur near Derabasi for more than ten years. He was a popular leader of the area as he fought for the downtrodden people. He was president of Kisan Sabha, Patiala district for a long time. He was a special invitee to the state committee and a member of Mohali district committee till his death. He was also chairman, Control Commission of the state Party.  Virdi disclosed that Comrade Rattan Singh donated his property worth crores of rupees in Derabasi to the Comrade Rattan Singh Marxwadi Chetna Kendar Trust for running a Party school. He assured the gathering that we would assemble in the near future to inaugurate the Party school centre.

Vijay Misra, explaining the details about the life of Comrade Rattan Singh said that Comrade Rattan Singh was born on  August 3, 1930 in village Haibatpur, Derabasi tehsil, Ajitgarh district (Mohali). He was inspired by the book  Bhago Nahin Duniya Badlo  written by Rahul Sankrityayan and became a member of the Communist Party in the year 1953. He formed a cooperative society in the village and purchased a tractor and a truck to provide employment to the youth in the village. He was very popular in the area because of his welfare activities. Comrade Rattan Singh worked in different positions in the Party during his party life.  He worked on kisan front for a long time and was president of Patiala district Kisan Sabha.   When he passed away, he was a special invitee to the state committee and member of the Mohali district committee.  Due to old age, he has been living in the state Party office, Cheema Bhawan in Chandigarh for the last few years and was being looked after by Party comrades.

Sukhwinder Singh Sekhon, Bhoop Chand Channo, Ram Singh Noorpuri,  Ranbir Singh Virk, state secretariat members , CPI(M), leaders of other political parties also addressed the meeting .

Kuldeep Singh, district secretary, Chandigarh and Mohali district committee, CPI(M) and Sham Lal, tehsil secretary, Derabasi thanked the leaders of all political parties and people of the area for participating in the condolence meeting in a big number.

A presidium consisting of Vijay Misra, Gurdarshan Singh Khaspur, district secretary, Patiala and Dr Sher Singh, a long time associate of Com Rattan Singh presided over the function.

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