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Veteran Communist Leader
Jyoti Basu |
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New Delhi:
A pall of gloom has descend on political circles of the country with
the passing away of Communist patriarch and former West Bengal chief
minister Jyoti Basu who left for heavenly abode on Sunday morning at
a private hospital following multi-organ failure at the age of 95.
Political
leaders cutting across party line looked deeply moved by the death
of Basu, who was described as ‘the architect of first UPA
government” and a “people’s leader” whose death is being widely seen
as “an end of an era” by politicians.
“I was
fortunate that I could work with him. I was fortunate to receive his
leadership, his love. He was my guide. He not only led the Communist
party but also ruled the people’s hearts,” said former Lok Sabha
Speaker and Communist leader Somnath Chatterjee.
“Jyoti Basu
taught us to relate to people……I called him “People’s leader”,”
Chatterjee added.
“A sort of a
father figure, a figure who has brought all of us in, and in the
most difficult circumstances also… He was also immense inspiration
for all of us. There were times when the party’s decision will
always be sacrosanct for him, whatever his individual opinion. And I
think this a very enduring lesson for all of us. And I think even in
his death he’s lived a life of a person who fights. Even for 15 days
when he was in the hospital the way he was fighting, it was only the
motto of his life, never say give up,” said Sitaram Yechury,
Politburo member, Communist Party of India (Marxist).
CPI General
Secretary A.B. Bardhan described, Basu’s death as “a major setback
for the party and the nation.”
“Jyoti Basu
was indeed one of the tallest leaders of contemporary India. He was
a stalwart in Indian politics. He was committed to the cause of the
weaker sections of the society and throughout his life he stood by
those values. He was committed to his ideology and to a sense of
idealism and it was this, that gave him the credibility and stature
of a tall contemporary leader who played a very long innings both as
a chief minister and also in public life,” said Arun Jaitely.
Union
Agriculture minister and National Congress Party chief Pawar in his
condolence message said: “The demise of Shri Jyoti Basu has left an
unbridgeable void in Indian polity. Among the architects of modern
India his contribution is incomparable. As the longest serving Chief
Minister of India, Shri Basu’s commitment to the cause of the common
man and the welfare of the down trodden was a hallmark of his
administration.”
Pawar said
Basu’s passing away marks the end of an era of idealism and personal
courage.
“The nation
today has lost a veteran mentor and I deeply mourn the personal loss
of a dear and trusted colleague,” Pawar added.
Congress
leader Digvijay Singh said: “He had a different kind of personality
and we can say that we will not be able to see a second Jyoti Basu.”
Former
Railways Minister and Rashtriya Janata Dal President Lalu Prasad
Yadav said: “Jyoti Basu was the most respected leader.”
Samajwadi
Party chief Mulyam Singh Yadav described Basu’s death as “a national
loss.”
“Central
Government should complete Jyoti Basu’s work,” said veteran
Bollywood and Bangla actor Mithun Chakraborty.
Basu died at
the AMRI Hospital of multiple-organ failure at 11.47 a.m. on Sunday.
He was 95.
He was
admitted to the hospital on January 1 with acute respiratory failure
bordering on pneumonia. He was also undergoing treatment at the
hospital for age-related ailments.
(ANI)
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