Red Salute to Com. Tapan Bhattacharya
Our beloved leader comrade Tapan Bhattacharya, secretary of Murshidabad District Committee, West Benga, died on 30 November at 11 am at the age of 66 years. Com. Tapan was one of the leading comrades at the time of the reorganisation of the party. He was one of the leading state team member in West Bengal in 1974 after which he was sent by the party to Assam for party work. His uncle comrade Ananta Bhattacharya, had also been the secretary of the Murshidabad District in the undivided communist party. After working in Assam, when Com. Tapan came back to West Bengal, he was entrusted with the responsibility to do party work in his home district of Murshidabad. He played a leading role in party building and in organising the peasants and the democratic movement in the district. He was a popular leader in the district. He had been suffering from chronic diseases and he had completely lost his vision. However, despite illness and loss of vision, nothing could deter him from his full time party work. His exemplary role is an inspiration to all of us.
Red Salute to Com. Rani Devi
Com. Rani Devi, residing in the Kurji area of Patna, passed away at the age of 82 on the morning of 21 November 2015. She was the mother of Bihar State committee member Com. Anita. In the 80s during the underground phase of the Party, her home was a dependable shelter for the Party where many leaders stayed. During that period she undertook this responsibility with great dedication and sacrifice. She even brought up the children of Party comrades with great love and devotion, never letting the economic constraints of a lower middle class family bring a murmur or a frown to her face. Even afterwards, Patna comrades used to frequent her home. Many comrades joined her funeral procession including Com. Pawan Sharma, Com. Kunal, Com. Brijbihari Pandey, Com. Shashi Yadav, Com. Ranvijay, Com. Vibha Gupta, and others.
A memorial meeting in her memory was held at her home on 25 November, conducted by Com. Ramkalyan. Apart from Party comrades, around 50-60 people from the neighbourhood also attended the meeting, addressed by Com. Madhu, Com. Vibha Gupta, Com. Damyanti, and local comrades. The concluding speech was given by Com. Pawan Sharma who had stayed at her home for several years in the 80s while he was Bihar State Committee Secretary. He said that we are inspired by every unselfish act performed in the interests of social change, and so today we remember her, whose qualities we would like to imbibe. Just as domestic work is often not counted as labour, so also we often forget the sacrifice of the women who gave shelter to Party comrades in difficult times. The contribution of Com. Rani Devi and women like her in keeping the Party alive in that phase is extremely important and unforgettable.
Red Salute to Com. Rani Devi!
