I had posted earlier about the sad demise of Com. Y.Narayana,delegate to Ludhiana Conference, while returning from Ludhiana ion his way to Bidar.

The postmortem was conducted at Agra hospital and the body has been brought to the All India Institute of Medical Sciences by Com. Bimanna, Dist. Secretary, Bidar for embalming before being sent to Hyderabad by flight. The embalming will be done in the morning of 1st October (tomorrow) and the accompanying comrades of Bidar with the body  will start for Hyderabad by the evening flight. Coms. R.S.Chauhan, Circle Secretary, NTR Circle, Chiddu Singh, Vice-president, Panna Lal and Hari Om Sharma made all arrangements for the registration at AIIMS and embalming of the body for the flight. Com.C.K.Gundanna, Circle Secretary, Karnataka along with Com. Keshav and Muddiah has reached Delhi and is looking after the arrangements.

As soon as the tragedy was brought to their notice, the CMD, Shri  R.K.Upadhyay and Director (Finance) Shri K.C.G.K.Pillai have given instructions to the CGMs of UP(W) and Karnataka to make all arrangements in this connection.

It is hoped that the body will reach Bidar by tomorrow night. I take this opportunity to thank the CMD, Dir(F), the union leaders who have all helped in dealing with the critical situation.

Today, 19th August 2012, is the first death anniversary of Comrade M.K.Pandhe, the veteran T.U.Leader, and former President of CITU. He was closely connected with the P&T Trade Union movement.

I pay my respectful homage to his memory!

Red salute to Comrade Harkishan Singh Surjeet on this 1st August, his 4th death anniversary! He was one of the tallest leaders of the CPI(M). His life and struggles for the toiling masses of the country and against the British rule will inspire all the progressive section of the society.

I have my own memories of the great leader who supported the CGE  as also the BSNL movement. His support to the cause of the BSNL workers is well-known.

Red Salute again to Com. Surjeet!

Kanpur, July 24 : As a huge crowd bid her the final farewell, veteran freedom fighter Captain Lakshmi Sehgal’s body was today taken to the GSVM medical college here where it would be donated for research.
The body of Sehgal, who passed away yesterday at the age of 97, was taken in a procession from the McRobert hospital.
Suhasini Ali, daughter of the freedom fighter and CPI(M) leader said, “as per her last wish we have donated her eyes and her body would be donated for medical research and handed over to the Ganesh Shankar Vidyarthi Memorial Medical College”.
CPI(M) Polit Bureau members Sitaram Yechury and Brinda Karat, CITU general secretary Tapan Sen, AIDWA general secretary Sudha Sundararaman, CPI(M) Central Committee member P K Sreemathy paid their last respects.

Also present were Comrade Lakshmi Sehgal’s daughters, Subhashini Ali and Aneesa Puri and other relatives.

Thousands of common people, including workers, women, school children and people from all walks of life participated in the last journey.

Political leaders from all parties like SP, BJP, BSP, Congress also paid homage to the departed revolutionary leader.
Union Minister Vyalar Ravi, Sehgal’s filmmaker grandson Shad Ali and other prominent media personalities paid their tributes at her last farewell.
Karat remembered the leader as a “highly politically motivated human being who fought injustice wherever she saw it…She served people with every ounce of strength”.
Yesterday, after her demise, leaders from across the political spectrum lauded Sehgal’s contribution to the country.
Sehgal (97), who was part of Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose’s Indian National Army, breathed her last at a private hospital at 11.20 AM yesterday.     She was admitted to the hospital on July 19 after she suffered a heart attack at her residence in the Civil Lines area here.

Comrade Captain Lakshmi Saghal, veteran freedom fighter and CPI(M) veteran,  passed away today ( 23rd July ) at Kanpur  at the age of 97. She was ailing for a few weeks.

Captain Lakshmi was born at Madras in 1914 as  the daughter of freedom fighter Ammukkutty Swaminathan and B.Swaminathan . After   passing MBBS  from the Madras University, along with medical practice she involved in the freedom movement. She went to Rangoon and joined the Indian National Army (INA) of Subhas Chandra Bose and was the captain of the Rani Jhansi Regiment which marched to India for fighting the British. She was captured and almost killed. She headed the medical treatment to the thousands who were wounded in the war.

After marriage with INA leader Prem Kumar Saighal, who was also in INA. Later she settled at Kanpur along with her daughter Com. Subhashini Ali, who is the Central Committee Member of the CPI(M) and also a former MP. She continued to serve the public in her clinic at Kanpur for decades till she fell sick a few weeks back.

Captain Lakshmi was a leader of the women’s movement and was a top leader of the CPI(M). She was the Presidential Candidate of the Left parties in 2002. She was awarded  Padma Vibhushan in 2008.

I had the chance to meet her and speak to her a few times when I went to her house at Kanpur and also at the Party Congresses/conferences. She used to talk to me  in Malayalam on those occasions which was very encouraging to me.

Her passing away is a great loss to the CPI(M), the Left, the women’s movement and all progressive forces. She was one of the freedom fighters still left amongst us. She was an inspiration to thousands for her selfless service to the nation and the Left movement. Her life story is the history of a valiant freedom fighter and a social workers who till her death served the public in her clinic.

I express my deep grief and convey heartfelt condolences to Com. Subhashini Ali, other family members, comrades and friends in their great loss.  Red salute to Com. Lakshmi Saighal!

Com. Dipankar Mukherjee, veteran trade union leader and National Secretary, CITU, who passed away on 18th June  was cremated at the Lodhi electronic crematorium on 19th attended by a large number of workers and trade union leaders.

Reepresentatives of trade unions and other leaders paid homage to him at BTR Bhawan, CITU HQ, where his body was kept for some time.

Red Salute to Com. Dipankar!

It is with deep sorrow that I heard the sad and shocking news of the sudden passing away of Com. Dipankar Mukherjee, Secretary of CITU and an outstanding trade union leader in the country. He was only 69 years. As a Rajya Sabha M.P., he has made his mark by raising  many issues concerning the interest of workers and common people. The trade union movement in India will certainly miss this outstanding leader.

Com. Dipankar Mukherjee has been closely connected with BSNL Employees Union and had given guidance and correct direction to the movement. I express my heartfelt condolences and share the sorrow with comrades and friends.