CPI(M) veteran leader and former all-India general secretary of the Students’ Federation of India (SFI), Comrade Nepaldeb Bhattacharya, passed away at a private hospital in the early hours of May 13, at 1.25 AM. He was 73.

He had been battling kidney-related ailments and was admitted to the hospital five days earlier. His cremation took place at Muktarpur crematorium in Bhatpara on May 13th afternoon.

CPI(M) general secretary M A Baby, state secretary Md Salim, and Left Front chairman Biman Bose expressed deep sorrow at his passing.

Born in Bhatpara, North 24 Parganas, in September 1952, Bhattacharya was drawn to the Left movement during the food protests of the 1960s. He rose to prominence as a student leader during the "semi-fascist terror" period of 1972-1977 and was elected secretary of the undivided 24 Parganas district SFI in 1977 and 1979. In 1979, at the Patna All-India Conference, he became the national general secretary of SFI, with M A Baby as president and Comrade Sitaram Yechury as joint secretary. He served as the general secretary of the SFI until 1987, after which he became deeply involved in the workers' movement.

He served as a CPI(M) Rajya Sabha MP from 1981 to 1988, earning recognition for his articulate interventions on workers' issues. A committed communist, Bhattacharya transitioned from student activism to organising workers and remained a steadfast voice for workers throughout his life.

He joined the CPI(M)’s undivided 24 Parganas district committee in 1981, was elected to the state committee in 1985, and served on the North 24 Parganas district secretariat from 2008 to 2021. He stepped down from active party roles in 2024 in line with age-related guidelines.

In 1992, following the Babri Masjid demolition, he was injured while helping prevent communal violence in his locality. He played a key role in organising the Kishore Bahini in Bhatpara and actively promoted sports and cultural activities.

Remembered as a principled, courageous, and warm-hearted leader, Comrade Bhattacharya’s contributions to the Left movement, student politics, and working-class struggles will remain etched in the collective memory of the movement he helped build.

Bhattacharya had a deep interest in culture and the arts. His film Chaka, released in 2000, featured prominent actors like Mithun Chakraborty, Debashree Roy, and Paran Bandopadhyay. In 2001, Mithun Chakraborty won an award for his performance in the film, which Bhattacharya directed.

On May 13th  morning, following his eye donation, his body was taken in a flower-adorned vehicle to Shramik Bhavan, the CITU state office, then to Muzaffar Ahmad Bhavan, the CPI(M) state office, and to the SFI state office and then to his residence, Belghachia Villa.

The cortege arrived at the CPI(M)’s North 24 Parganas district office in Barasat, where CPI(M) general secretary M A Baby, Gautam Deb, and district secretary Palash Das paid tribute. The cortege then stopped at Reliance Jute Mill gate where workers paid their last respects,  and at the CPI(M)’s Bhatpara office before reaching Muktarpur crematorium. A procession with 73 half-masted red flags followed the hearse, joined by M A Baby and other leaders.

M A Baby, speaking at the funeral procession, recalled their close association since 1979 and praised Bhattacharya’s dedication, political clarity, and powerful communication skills in both Hindi and English. He emphasized Bhattacharya’s instrumental role in expanding student movements into Hindi-speaking regions, his resistance during the 1992 Babri Masjid riots, and his continued participation in mass mobilisations, including a recent workers' protest.

CITU general secretary Tapan Sen highlighted Bhattacharya’s lifelong commitment to defending people’s interests and noted his active involvement until hospitalisation, including the March 24 transport workers’ march and the April 20 Brigade rally campaign.

SFI leaders Mayukh Biswas and VP Sanu, AIKS leaders Ashok Dhawale and Vijoo Krishnan, and the All India Agricultural Workers Union also expressed deep condolences.