Category Archives: Obituary, Tributes

Obituary

Very Sad News! Com. Chhidu Singh Passed Away

20 Saturday Dec 2014

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Just now a very sad news have been received. Com. Chhidu Singh, former Circle Secretary of BSNLEU NTR Circle Delhi and former All India Asst. General Secretary of BSNLEU and a very senior leader has passed away early morning today after a massive heart attack. He was taken to the hospital, but his life could not be saved. it is a great loss to the organisation. The cremation will take place today evening.

We express our deep grief and convey our heartfelt condolences to the bereaved family, friends and relatives.

 

 

 

 

B.T.Ranadive, the Champion of the Working Class

18 Thursday Dec 2014

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BtRanadiveToday is the 110th birthday anniversary of one of the top militant and revolutionary leader of the working class, Com.B.T.Ranadive. He was born on 19th December 1904.

Balchadra Trimbak Ranadive was a bright student and passed MA with distinction. He joined the Communist Party  in 1928 and also became a leader of the All India trade Union Congress at Bombay. He actively participated  in the Bombay Girni Kamgar union and Railways Unions. He supported the Navy mutiny and organised solidarity strike in support of the Naval mutiny.

He was elected as President of the CITU and continued till his death. He was also elected to the Polit Bureau of the Communist Party of India (Marxist). A militant leader, he guided many struggles of the working class, including government employees. He was married to Com. Vimal Ranadive, herself a staunch trade union leader. Com. Ahilya Rangnekar, the leader of the heroic struggle of the Adivasis and a CPI(M) leader, is the sister of Com. BTR. All of them have passed away. Com. BTR passed away on 6th April 1990.

I had been fortunate to be in contact with Com. BTR for a long time connected with the P and T trade union activities. He had attended the Conferences of P and T unions at  All India level as also in the Kerala Circle Conferences. His guidance and advice in the trade union activities were inspiring.

On his 110th birth anniversary, my respectful homage to Com. B.T.Ranadive. We pledge to continue to tread the path shown by him.

Red Salute to Com. BTR !

 

 

A Bunch of Red Roses on the 13th Death Anniversary of Com. Suseela Gopalan

18 Thursday Dec 2014

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It is difficult to accept that Com. Suseela Gopalan, the mass leader, who was very close to the P and T trade union movement, had left us 13 years back. It seems that she was in our midst just a few weeks back. But it is true that she passed away on 19th December 2001.

Com. Suseela Gopalan, even before she married legendary CPI(M)leader Com. A.K.Gopalan, was in the party. She was a real companion to Com. AKG both as his wife and in the Party. She was the founder President of All India Democratic Womens’ Association (AIDWA), which now has grown in to a strong mass movement of women. She has been elected to the Kerala Assembly and was a Minister in the LDF government.  She was in the Parliament and took up the issues of the workers and the people effectively.

While she was at Delhi as Member of Parliament, I had the occasion to meet her several times to take up cases of central Government employees and specially of the P and T workers. She took these cases sincerely and effectively. She was Chairperson of the Kerala Circle P and T Co-ordinating Committee for some time and gave guidance and direction to the workers.

During my stay at Calicut in Kerala, many times when Coms.AKG and Suseela came to the city, I used to go to the Railway Station to receive them and take them either to the  residence of Advocate P.K.Poduval, where they stayed. They addressed many of the P and T union meetings and conferences.

On her 13th death anniversary, I respectfully pay homage to Com. Suseela Gopalan and remember the great service she had done to the common people and specially to the P and T workers.

A bunch of Red Roses to the inspiring memory of Com. Suseela Gopalan !

Homage to Com. K.G.Bose on his 40th death anniversary

08 Monday Dec 2014

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44 years are over after the departure of Comrade K.G.Bose from our midst. It was on 11th December 1974 that our beloved leader Com. K.G.Bose passed away in a London Hospital, at the comparatively young age of 53.

But the  contribution of Com. K.G.  to the P and T Trade union movement during that period is beyond description. Born on 7th July 1921, he entered the P and T Department as a clerk in the DET Office, Calcutta in 1941. From the date he joined till his death in 1974, he was completely merged in the union activities, leading and guiding thousands of committed workers all over the country. His role in the 1946 P and T Strike, in the formation of NFPTE in 1954, exposing the revisionist leadership and leading the workers on the correct line – all are well known to the P and T workers. Thousands of young comrades like me have been inspired by him and became active workers of the union.

Com.KG was a fighter, a revolutionary, a leader who mingled with the workers and understood their aspirations and capabilities and molded them in to dedicated and determined activists. He was elected as President of NFPTE in 1970 and led the movement on the correct line. He was elected to the Bengal Legislature and was a Member of the Pay Commission for the State Govt. Employees.

His last days were in a London hospital, where he was taken for treatment of dreaded cancer. Though expert treatment was given, he could not recover and passed away on 11th December 1974, leaving all of us is complete darkness.

A few words from his last letter to the comrades in India is reproduced below:” I want to survive and continue my uncompromising fight against all injustices,  and  in this fight  I am not alone, thousands and thousands of comrades are with me and they are the source of my inspiration.”… ” We can not be a party to any proposal which may be considered as surrender of the principled stand by the common workers”.

The own building of BSNL Employees Union in New Delhi is named “K.G.Bose Bhawan” in his memory. There are many such union offices all over the country which are named after him. His wife, Com. Parul Bose, herself a staunch union worker, also passed away a few years back. Com. Moni Bose, the veteran trade union leader and one of the First Patrons of the BSNL Employees Union, who passed away in 2010, was his younger brother.

Recently when I was searching some old papers at my home at Calicut, I got a few letters which have been sent by Com. KG and which I have kept safely as a memory of the great leader. I feel fortunate that I could meet and be a dedicated follower of Com.K.G.Bose.

Red Salute to Com. K.G.Bose, the Eternal Revolutionary!

We Remember Dr. B.R.Ambedkar on his 58th Death Annivesary

06 Saturday Dec 2014

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Today, 5th December 2014, is the 58th death anniversary of Bharat Ratna Dr. B.R.Ambedkar, the iconic figure who fought his entire life for the upliftment of the dalits. His life itself was a struggle against injustice.

Dr. Ambedkar was an organiser, administrator, agitator and a great leader of the country. His contribution in preparing the Constitution of the free India is well known.

We pay our respectful homage to the memory of Dr. Ambedkar on his 58th death anniversary!

 

First Death Anniversary of Nelson Mandela

05 Friday Dec 2014

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Nelson_Mandela-2008_(edit)5th December 2014 is the first death anniversary of Nelson Mandela, the iconic figure who fought against the inhuman apartheid his entire life and inspired an entire generation of people.

Born on 18th July 1918 in the British ruled South Africa, he became part of the great freedom movement and led the African National Congress, the party which was  in the forefront of the struggle. The revolutionary movement under his dedicated leadership saw the sustained struggle for freedom, first with non-violence and then gradually turning in to militant struggle. He was put in solitary confinement in the Robben Island for long 27 years from 1964 by the British imperialists, but they could not break the movement or him. He had to be released and general elections took place in the country.

In the 1994 elections,  African National Congress, in which South African Communist Party was also aligned, won with huge majority and Mandela became the first President of the free South Africa.  He vacated the post after one term.

Nelson Mandela passed away on 5th December 2013 after a short illness. He is remembered and revered as one of the greatest person, the world has eve seen.

On his first death anniversary, my respectful homage to Nelson Mandela, the comrade who fought his entire life for the freedom of the country and the freedom of the underprivileged.

Red Salute to Comrade Nelson Mandela!

Justice V.R.Krishna Iyer Passes Away

04 Thursday Dec 2014

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Justice  V.R.Krishna Iyer, famous jurist and social activist passed away today, 4th December, at a private hospital at Kochi. He had celebrated his 100th Birthday Anniversary only one month back.

Justice Krishna Iyer was earlier an Advocate, Minister and thrice MLA. He was the Law and Home Minister in the first Communist Ministry in Kerala in 1957, under the Chief Minister ship of Com. EMS Namboodiripad. His contribution to the historic  Land Bill and other progressive laws adopted during the ministry is well known. He was  with the Left and was jailed for taking up the case of communists in the 1950s.

At the time when he was practising at Tellicherry as an advocate before shifting to Kochi, he was closely connected with the P&T Trade Unions.

Later,  Krishna Iyer was posted as High Court Judge and then Supreme Court Judge.  During his tenure in these posts, Justice Krishna Iyer delivered hundreds of judgments, most of which are considered as path breaking judgments. The judgment invalidating the election of Prime Minister Indira Gandhi shows his deep faith in judiciary and legal clarity.

After his retirement, Justice Krishna Iyer spent his full time as a social activist and a fighter for democratic rights. He was connected with many social movements even at his advanced age till death. Justice Krishna Iyer was the recipient of many awards, including Padma Vibhushan.

 

In his death, India and the world itself, has lost a person who has filled the earth with his humanity and justice.

We express our deep grief at the passing away of Justice V.R.Krishna Iyer and convey our condolences to the bereave family.

Crorepati Cabinet – 59 out of 64 Ministers Crorepatis.

11 Tuesday Nov 2014

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The Prime Minister may have been a tea supplier and come from a poor family. But the Cabinet he presides is a cabinet of crorepatis.

According to the analysis by Association of Democratic Reforms and National Election Watch, 59, out of 64 central ministers are crorepatis. The average asset of these ministers come to Rs. 18.48 crore according to the report. Y.S.Chaudary, Rajya Sabha M.P. from AP, who has now been elevated to Minister and who is the richest, is having an asset of Rs. 189.69 crore followed by Jayant Sinha from Jharkhand with 47.37 crores.

Some of the ministers newly appointed are having serial criminal cases against them.

These crorepatis will save the nation and the people ? The answer is clear and loud – a big NO.

Homage to Com. S.R.Nayak – Seminar on FDI at Jabalpur

09 Saturday Aug 2014

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In connection with the observing of the first death anniversary of veteran P and T Leader and former Circle Secretary of BSNLEU, M.P. Com.S.R.Nayak, a Seminar on ‘FDI in Departments and Public Sector’ was organised at Jabalpur by CITU on 8th August 2014.. A large number of comrades participated. The Ambedkar Bhawan Conference Hall, where the seminar was held, was full and overflowing by employees and others who attended.
The meeting was presided over by a Presidium consisting of Com. Vidhya Kangar, President, M.P.State Anganawadi Union, Com.Jagannath Patel, Kisan Sabha, Com.N.Chakravarty, AIIEA and Com.G.N.Kumar, CITU. Com. Jagdish Singh, Convener of the Committee and also the All India Org. Secretary BSNLEU welcomed all and remembered the excellent leadership given by Com.S.R.Nayak to the workers.
Com.V.A.N.Namboodiri, All India President, BSNLEU, was the main speaker who introduced the subject. He remembered Com.S.R.Nayak and his sustained struggles for the workers and for the correct policies in the P and T and later BSNL. His sacrifices for the organization was mentioned. Com.Namboodiri then spoke about danger of the increasing FDI in various sectors including in Defence, Railways, Telecom, etc. and the necessity of fighting to put a stop to it. The joint struggle of the Central Trade Unions on the main demands of the workers were briefed.
Com.S.C.Shrivastava, Vice-President, AIBDPA and other leaders addressed.
The meeting was a great success. The participants appreciated the speeches of the leaders which was a part of the preparations for the future struggles.
In the morning Com.V.A.N.Namboodiri along with Com. Jagdish Singh and S.N.S.Chouhan visited the family of com. S.R.Nayak. The family were present in the meeting also.

August 5 – Friedrich Engels’ Death Anniversary

05 Tuesday Aug 2014

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Today, 5th August 2014, is the 119th Death Anniversary of Friedrich Engels, who died on this day in 1895.
Engels was the close associate of Karl Marx and co-author of Manifesto of the Communist Party. They jointly wrote and published many books on capitalism and how to change and move to Socialism.

Red salute to the memory of Friedrich Engels !