Veteran communist leader and trade unionist Gurudas Dasgupta, considered a very capable parliamentarian, passed away on Thursday following a long battle with cancer. He was 82. The Left leader passed away at around 6 am, family sources said. Dasgupta is survived by his wife and daughter.
West Bengal CPI secretary Swapan Banerjee told news agency PTI, “He (Dasgupta) passed away at his home in Kolkata at 6 am. He was suffering from lung cancer for quite some time. Due to his poor health, he had relinquished party posts, though he continued to be a member of the national executive council of the CPI."
Born on November 3, 1936, in Barishal (now in Bangladesh) of undivided Bengal, Dasgupta was baptised into politics through the student movement, and served as the president and general secretary of the undivided Bengal Provincial Students' Federation between 1958 and 1960.
When the CPI split in 1964 and the Communist Party of India (Marxist) was formed, Dasgupta chose to stay with the parent party and took on the then Congress rule in West Bengal. He was detained under Defence of India Rules in 1965 and went underground on several occasions during the Congress rule in West Bengal.
In the early 70s, Dasgupta shifted to the labour wing of the party to aid those employed in the organised and unorganised sectors in India.
In 1985, he became a member of the Rajya Sabha and made his mark with his erudition, fearless abd articulate oratory, speaking out with a crusader's zeal against corruption, capitalism and what he always termed as the "neo-imperialist policies.” His oratory skills and speeches in the parliament gained him praise from political leaders across party lines.
He decided against contesting the 2014 Lok Sabha Elections owing to his poor health.
Dasgupta was one of the parliamentarians who repeatedly highlighted the Bofors scandal that came into the public domain in the late 1980s during the prime ministerial stint of Rajiv Gandhi. He also served on the joint parliamentary committees formed to probe the securities scam and the 2G spectrum scandal.
Stating that he was a committed and articulate proponent of his ideology, Prime Minister Narendra Modi took to Twitter to condole his death. “Shri Gurudas Dasgupta Ji was one of the most committed and articulate proponents of his ideology. He was a strong voice in Parliament, whose interventions were keenly heard across the political spectrum. Saddened by his passing away. May his soul rest in peace,” he said.
Condoling his death, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee said, "Saddened at the passing away of CPI leader Gurudas Dasgupta ji. He will be remembered for his contribution to the nation as a Parliamentarian and trade union leader. Condolences to his family, friends and colleagues.
Gurudas Dasgupta’s last rites will be held on Friday in Kolkata.
With IANS inputs