THE Polit Bureau of the Communist Party of India (Marxist) expresses its deep grief at the passing away of Shyamali Gupta, member of the Central Committee of the party and president of the All India Democratic Women’s Association till recently. Shyamali Gupta fell ill at the AIDWA all-India conference held in Bodh Gaya and died after she returned to Kolkata. She was 68 years old. Shyamali Gupta joined the Communist Party in 1963 after being active in the student movement. She played an important role in the Bengal Provincial Students Federation. After a stint as a college teacher, Shyamali Gupta began work in the women’s movement in the 1970s.  She became a key organiser of the Ganatantrik Mahila Samiti. She was elected as its general secretary in 1983 and served in that capacity till 1996.  Shyamali Gupta became the all-India general secretary of the AIDWA in 1990 and played a major role in the development of the women’s movement at the national level. She was elected as the president of the AIDWA in 2010, a post she held till the eve of her death.  Shyamali Gupta was a dedicated communist leader. She became a member of the West Bengal state committee in 1985 and was a member of the state secretariat from 2010. She was elected to the Central Committee of the CPI(M) in 2002.  As a women communist leader, Shyamali Gupta made a valuable contribution to the development of the democratic women’s movement. She served the Communist Party with devotion and sincerity for five decades.  Her death is a big loss for the party and the women’s movement. The Polit Bureau conveys its heartfelt condolences to her son and other family members.  November 25, 2013