A 'chapter' in Communist movement of Bengal has ended: Left leaders' tribute to Buddhadeb

The CPI (M) and other Left parties on Thursday expressed grief at the demise of Marxist veteran and former West Bengal chief minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee, saying a ''chapter'' in the Communist movement of the state has ended.

Bhattacharjee (80) died in his Kolkata home after suffering from age-related ailments, CPI(M) West Bengal secretary Md Salim said.

''The Polit Bureau of the CPI(M) expresses its profound grief at the passing away of Comrade Buddhadeb Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee, outstanding leader of the party and former chief minister of West Bengal,'' the CPI(M) said in a statement.

Party general secretary Sitaram Yechury, in a post on Facebook, said the news is ''shattering''. ''Shattering news about Buddha da. The news reached me as I was having a cataract removed. His dedication to the party, West Bengal, our shared ideals and also his ability to look ahead will always function as a lodestar,'' Yechury said. Bhattacharjee joined the party as a student in 1966 and participated in various student and youth movements, the CPI(M) said.

He became state secretary of the West Bengal Democratic Youth Federation in 1968. Bhattacharjee was elected to the party's West Bengal state committee in 1971 and became a state secretariat member in 1982.

During this period, Bhattacharjee emerged as an important leader who undertook various responsibilities as a dedicated cadre, the party said.

As a member of the Polit Bureau till 2015, Bhattacharjee made important contributions in shaping party policies, it added. ''Buddhadeb's distinctive role was as a minister and chief minister of the Left Front government, in which he served nearly three decades. He succeeded Jyoti Basu as the chief minister in November 2000 and was sworn in after that for another two terms,'' the CPI(M) said, adding that he played a key role in the approach and policies of the government.

Bhattacharjee made a significant contribution to the development of cultural institutions and sustaining progressive cultural values, it further said.

''His passion was literature. He was a poet, playwright and writer. He translated many international literary works into Bengali. He wrote extensively on changes in China and published a book on the subject,'' it added.

A dedicated Communist, he led a simple life and, throughout his tenure as chief minister and subsequently, lived in a modest two-room apartment, the party said. ''With his death, a chapter in the Communist and Left movement of West Bengal has ended.'' ''The Polit Bureau pays revolutionary homage to his memory and conveys its deepest condolences to his wife Meera and his son Suchetan,'' the party added. Other Left leaders also paid tributes to the former chief minister. ''Deeply saddened by the news of the passing of Comrade Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee. He was one of the senior most leaders of the CPI(M) and the Left. His long stint in public life, including his tenure as Chief Minister of West Bengal from 2000 to 2011, endeared him to the people,'' Communist Party of India General Secretary D Raja said.

''His absence will also be felt in Bengal's literary and cultural arena, where he was a towering presence. My condolences to the family of Buddhadeb da and the CPI(M),'' he said in a post on X. Communist Party of India (Marxist-Leninist) Liberation General Secretary Dipankar Bhattacharya also expressed grief. ''Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee was the last commander of the prolonged CPI(M)-led Left administration in West Bengal. Debates will go on about his administrative tenure, but he will be remembered for his honesty, simple living and progressive cultural pursuits. Respect and condolences,'' he said in a post on X.