Former W.Bengal CM Budhhadeb Bhattacharya Passes Away
Image Courtesy: PTI
Communist leader Buddhadeb Bhattacharya, who took over the mantle of chief minister of West Bengal from Jyoti Basu in 2000 and served till 2011 passed away today morning at his residence in Kolkata. He was 80 years old and ailing for a long time. He is survived by his wife Meera and his son Suchetan.
Born in a family of priests in 1944, Budhhadeb chose the path of serving toiling people and embraced Marxism at an early age. He joined the communist movement in 1966. He was elected as state secretary of the Democratic Youth Federation. In the following decades he emerged as a prominent leader of the CPI(M). He became a member of the Central Committee of the Party in 1985. He was elected to the Polit Bureau in 2000. As a member of the Polit Bureau till 2015, he made important contributions in shaping Party policies.
Buddhadeb Bhattacharya was a minister in successive Left Front governments of W.Bengal with Jyoti Basu as chief minister. In 2000, after Basu retired due to failing health, Budhhadeb became the chief minister and continued till 2011. He led a simple life and continued to live in his small two room apartment even after becoming the chief minister. He will always be remembered for his dedication to the service of the downtrodden masses.
The Polit Bureau of the CPI(M) has expressed its profound grief at the passing away of Comrade Buddhadeb Bhattacharya, outstanding leader of the Party and former Chief Minister of West Bengal.
“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. He had thus played a key role in the approach and policies of the Left Front government,” the Polit Bureau said in a statement.
Buddhadeb made a significant contribution to the development of cultural institutions and sustaining progressive cultural values. 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.
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