October 24, 2021
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TRIPURA: Remembering Comrade Bijan Dhar

Haripada Das

THE Tripura state committee of CPI(M) held a condolence meeting in memory of Comrade Bijan Dhar at Rabindra Satabarshiki Bhawan in Agartala on October 18, 2021. 

Polit Bureau members – Prakash Karat, Biman Bose and Manik Sarkar, Central Committee members, Robin Deb from West Bengal, Deben Bhattacharjee from Assam, all Central Committee members from Tripura and leaders of other Left parties attended the meeting. Bijan Dhar’s wife, Ila Dasgupta and daughter Purbasha Dhar were also present on the dais. The meeting was presided over by Aghore Debbarma, Central Committee member of the Party. 

The condolence meeting began with paying floral tributes at the portrait of Comrade Bijan Dhar followed by the presentation of condolence resolution by Jitendra Chaudhury, Party state secretary.

Condoling the death of Comrade Bijan Dhar, Prakash Karat recalled his association with him while working in the students’ front. He said “Bijan Dhar rose to leadership positions through grassroots level struggles. It is through dedication and sacrifice that the leadership in our Party is built unlike the manner in the bourgeois parties where leaders are planted considering their family identities. It was not expected that we would have to meet in remembrance of two tested leaders, Gautam Das and Bijan Dhar, within a span of one month.” These two were seasoned leaders of all-weather, Prakash Karat said and underlined that while the Left democratic masses of the state have been struggling to fight back the BJP in the state, we must take lessons from the legacies left by the two departed leaders. The lives and deeds of these two leaders would be a guiding torch to our future course of movement, he said. 

Biman Bose said, communists remember their departed comrades not only to pay floral tributes to them. We meet to remember our leaders to resolve and dedicate ourselves to building up united struggles taking lessons from their lives and legacies. Referring to the ongoing reign of terror unleashed by the BJP in Tripura, Biman Bose said, once Tripura was one of the model states in the north-eastern region in respect of pro-people, good governance. Now darkness has engulfed the state in all respects. To pay true homage to Comrade Bijan Dhar and Gautam Das, we should vow to carry on sustained struggles, Biman Bose concluded. 

Manik Sarkar in his brief address said Bijan Dhar and Gautam Das rose up through a long-drawn struggle of about half a century. Their passing away in less than a month is no doubt an irreparable loss to the Party. We have to fulfill the tasks they left behind. The people are the real creators of history though individuals play an important role in opinion building. He emphasised that the fascistic forces in Tripura would not continue to rule for long. We must unitedly fight back these evil forces, Manik Sarkar said. 

Rabin Deb, reminisced the train journey to Trivandrum to attend the first conference of SFI with Comrade Bijan Dhar and other Tripura delegates in 1970. Bijan Dhar composed a song and set a tune to that and he himself sang it to freshen up the energy of the delegates from the fatigue of long travel. That song is now sung by many of our comrades, he said. 

Rama Das, Central Committee member, recalling her memories of Bijan Dhar referred to his interest in composing progressive songs and singing them too. As a true communist, Bijan Dhar’s lifestyle, thoughts and modest interaction with people made him acceptable to all sections of the masses. 

Deben Bhattacharjee recalled how on various occasions Bijan Dhar helped the Assam Party, particularly the Cachar district since his student life. His demise is a loss to Assam Party as well, he said.     

Manik Dey, a long-time co-fighter with Bijan Dhar since school days highlighted various events of students’ movement against the repressive measures of the school management abetted by the then government. 

Aghore Debbarma, in his presidential address, said, Gautam Das and Bijan Dhar are no more with us. We have to accept this reality. But we must keep them alive with our work, taking the lessons they left for us in the field of movement. 

Purbasha Dhar, daughter of late Bijan Dhar informed that she is proud of being a daughter of a communist leader like Bijan Dhar. Despite his hectic schedule amidst a tight Party programme, she did not miss the fatherly affection from him. 

Ranjit Majumder of CPI, Dipak Deb of RSP and Dulal Deb of AIFB also addressed the meeting and discussed Bijan Dhar’s sincere efforts to cement the unity of the Tripura Left Front committee.