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THE Centre of Indian Trade Unions, in a statement issued on April 12, has expressed extreme grief at the passing away of Comrade Neelima Maitra, veteran leader of the trade union movement and a frontline organiser of the working women and scheme workers’ movement, the anganwadi sector, in particular. She was 92 years old and breathed her last after prolonged ailment on April 12, 2024 at a nursing home in Kolkata.
Comrade Neelima Maitra’s political-organisational life spread over more than six decades. She started working with women’s organisation initially in her early youth in North Calcutta and all along remained actively associated with Left movement in the state braving all kinds of attacks, onslaughts and semi-fascist terror being unleashed from time to time by the ruling class and their political goons. Subsequently, she started organising the anganwadi workers and helpers and played a pioneering role in making their union one of the largest unions affiliated to the CITU in West Bengal. She took the initiative for organising anganwadi workers and helpers at the national level and was instrumental in the formation of the All India Federation of Anganwadi Workers and Helpers in 1991, of which she became the founding general secretary. In 1998, she became its president and continued in that position till 2019. She travelled across the country to organise anganwadi workers and helpers and contributed to develop AIFAWH as a fighting and one of the largest organisations of anganwadi employees in the country.
Despite her advanced age, she remained active and till a few weeks before her death she was actively involved in the organisation travelling to the union office in Kolkata located in the state committee office of CITU.
Comrade Neelima Maitra married late Comrade Sunil Maitra, one of the founder leaders of the insurance employees movement in the country who was also a Polit Bureau member of the CPI(M). Her sons are active in trade union movement in their respective fronts.
Comrade Neelima Maitra’s demise is an irreparable loss to the trade union movement and the working women’s movement in particular.
CITU conveys its heartfelt condolences to her bereaved family members and her comrades and pays respectful homage to her immense contribution to the movement of the working class.
Red Salute to Comrade Neelima Maitra!
AIDWA PAYS HOMAGE
In a separate statement issued on April 13, the All India Democratic Women’s Association (AIDWA) expressed deep sorrow at the passing away of Comrade Neelima Maitra, who played an important role in AIDWA and helped in building the organisation in its formative days. She was a member of the Kolkata district committee and West Bengal state committee in the 1980s.
Neelima Maitra was active in the women’s organisation in her youth and later took initiative for organising anganwadi workers and helpers at the national level. She was one of the leaders of the Left movement in West Bengal, who courageously faced the brutal attacks during the semi-fascist terror and continued to resist the repression unleashed by the ruling class.
Neelimadi Amar Rahe!
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