COMRADE Kantimohan Sharma, one of the founding members of the editorial team of Loklahar and the Democratic Writers Association, passed away on July 14 at a hospital in Noida. Coincidentally, it was also his birthday. Since the night of July 13, he had been on a ventilator. Comrade Kantimohan had been ill for a long time, and with advancing age, heart disease and other illnesses had afflicted him. He was 88 years old.

Kantimohan retired from the position of a reader at Satyawati College, Delhi University, in 1996. Despite leading a busy life as a political-social worker and teacher, he continuously wrote in the genres of criticism, story, novel, and ghazal under the pen name ‘Soz’. His ghazal collection, Gunahe Sukhan, earned an award from the Urdu Academy, Delhi, in 1990. His songs connected to movements were also very popular. He was one of the founding members of the Delhi University Teachers Association, Democratic Ideas Forum, and Jan Natya Manch. He served as vice president of the Janwadi Lekhak Sangh (Democratic Writers Association) for a long time and was also associated with editing its central magazine, Naya Path.

On July 16, from 2-4 PM, his mortal remains were kept at Surjeet Bhawan for paying last respects, where comrades from the Party, his colleagues from Delhi University, DTF comrades, fellow writers, poets, critics from the Democratic Writers Association, theatre artists from Jan Natya Manch, journalists, cultural activists associated with SAHMAT, farmer leaders, and trade union workers paid their respects. He maintained a lively connection with the youth through his grandson, and many of these young friends were present to pay tribute to him.

CPI(M) Polit Bureau members Brinda Karat and MA Baby, along with Party leaders, paid their respects. Comrades from Loklahar and People's Democracy paid their respects. At 4 PM, amid slogans of ‘Red Salute to Comrade Kantimohan,’ his mortal remains were sent to AIIMS for body donation.

On July 20, a remembrance meeting was organised by the Democratic Writers Association at Surjeet Bhawan.