IN July 1960, a couple of days after the unsuccessful nationwide strike of railwaymen, I was waiting for an audience with the Divisional Superintendent who had summoned me. I never imagined that the wait on that verandah would bring me in contact with a man who would become my closest comrade, companion and soul mate for over five decades. When my turn arrived, I went in and came out holding my suspension order – the consequence of participating actively in the strike.

RICH tributes were paid to Comrade Ananda Pathak and Comrade Arati Dasguta, frontline leaders of working class movement and CPI(M), in a condolence meeting on December 29 at Kolkata. Both of them breathed their last on November 28.

The meeting, presided over by Biman Basu particularly remembered their contribution to the development of working class movement in the state. Dipak Dasgupta, CITU state secretary and Ashok Bhattacharya, state committee member of the Party outlined the lifelong struggle of these veteran leaders.

Prakash Karat, general secretary of the Communist Party of India (Marxist) has issued the following statement on December 4, 2014
I AM deeply saddened at the passing away of Justice VR Krishna Iyer. Krishna Iyer was a visionary jurist, statesman and champion of human rights. Elected as an independent, he became the law minister in the first Communist ministry in Kerala in 1957. As a Supreme Court judge, he gave several landmark judgements which interpreted the rights of citizens under the constitution favouring the common man.

The Polit Bureau of the Communist Party of India (Marxist) has issued the following statement on September 15:

THE Polit Bureau of the Communist Party of India (Marxist) expresses its deep grief at the passing away of Comrade Benoy Konar, a senior leader of the Party and the peasant movement. He died on September 14 at the age of 84.

WITH a resolve to carry on Comrade Vijender Sharma’s unfulfilled tasks, a condolence meeting on August 14 paid homage to the departed comrade. Hundreds of Party workers, members of the intelligentsia, Delhi University teachers participated in the meeting held at the Constitution Club in New Delhi. The meeting adopted a condolence resolution moved by the Delhi state committee secretary PMS Grewal. K M Tiwari conducted the proceedings.