CPI(M) Polit Bureau has issued the following statement on September 16

THE Polit Bureau of the Communist Party of India (Marxist) expresses its deep shock and grief at the sudden death of Gautam Das, member of its Central Committee and secretary of the Tripura state committee of the Party. He died this morning at a Kolkata hospital where he was undergoing treatment for Covid. He was 70 years old.

Right from his school days, Gautam Das was active in politics as part of the student movement in the state. Even while in college he joined the Party’s weekly Desharkatha. When the Desharkatha became a daily in 1979, he became its founding editor, a responsibility he discharged with distinction until 2015, when he took up more organisational responsibilities in the Party. He was instrumental in developing Desharkatha as a full-fledged newspaper. He was one of the founding members of the Agartala Press Club. He was also very active in the cultural movement and was founder secretary of the Tripura Sanskriti Samanway Kendra.

He joined the Party in 1968, was elected to the Tripura state committee in 1986, to the state secretariat in 1994 and as its secretary in 2018. He was elected to the Central Committee at the 21st Congress of the Party in 2015. In the past three years, he worked steadfastly to steer the Party facing the reign of terror.

His family having roots in Chittagong, he had great attachment to Bangladesh. This helped him maintain cordial relations with the political parties there, on behalf of the Party.

He led a very simple life and was a comrade of high loyalty and commitment to the Party’s cause. His departure, coming at a time when the Party is valiantly facing vicious and violent attacks in Tripura, is a big loss.

The Polit Bureau conveys its heartfelt condolences to his wife Tapati Sen, daughter Swagata Das and other family members.