ON November 9, Comrade S Kumar breathed his last while being taken to a hospital in Raipur. He was 85 years old. On November 7, while walking on a street in Vishrampur, Chattisgarh, he fell down and sustained injuries.

Though Comrade Kumar was born in an upper middle class family; his father being a popular physician in Kanpur, he chose to work for the working class movement. He started his political work in the parliamentary office of the CPI(M) at Delhi and later was sent to West Bengal and during the semi-fascist terror worked amongst the coal workers in Raniganj; later was sent to Madhya Pradesh. He was the first secretary of the CPI(M) in Chattisgarh. Comrade Kumar’s family hailed from Kashmir and his name was Samir Kumar Dhar, however during the semi fascist terror he used the name of S Kumar.

During the six decades of his political life, he served as the general secretary of CITU in Madhya Pradesh and also state secretariat member of the CPI(M). After the division of MP, he shifted to Chattisgarh and became its first Party secretary. The Party office and Party centre was developed with Comrade Kumar’s initiative. He later worked in the Party's Central Committee office, AKG Bhavan in New Delhi.

The red flag was laid on the body of Comrade S Kumar by Sanjay Parate, state secretary of CPI(M). Members of the state secretariat and other leaders also paid their homage and participated in the funeral procession of Comrade Kumar. Ruchir Garg, media adviser of the chief minister also participated in the funeral procession.

Sitaram Yechury, general secretary of CPI(M) sent a condolence message to Chattisgarh Party on the death of Comrade Kumar. Tapan Sen, general secretary of CITU, through a condolence message, remembered the contribution of Comrade Kumar in building CITU in the state of MP.