[Marxistindia] Com. Shyamal Chakraborty

[news from the cpi(m)]

August 6, 2020

Press Statement

The Polit Bureau of the Communist Party of India (Marxist) has issued  
the following statement:

Comrade Shyamal Chakraborty

The Polit Bureau of the Communist Party of India (Marxist) expresses  
its deep sorrow and anguish at the death of Comrade Shyamal  
Chakraborty, member of the Central Committee of the Party. He was aged  
77 and died this afternoon at a Kolkata hospital following a cardiac  
arrest.

He was admitted to the hospital a few days ago due to some health  
issues and later tested positive for Covid-19.

Shyamal Chakraborty joined the student movement in the early 1960s and  
was elected General Secretary of the student’s union at the Vidyasagar  
College, Calcutta.

He joined the undivided Communist Party in 1960. He was elected to the  
West Bengal Legislative assembly for the first time in 1981 and later  
on for three more terms. He served as Minister for Transport for nine  
years. He was also elected to the Rajya Sabha for a term.

Shyamal Chakraborty was associated with various unions of workers. He  
discharged responsibilities in the Centre of Indian Trade Unions in  
various capacities including serving as the President of its West  
Bengal unit.

He was elected to the state Committee of the Party in 1978 and the  
Central Committee in 2002.

He was jailed for a period of a year and stayed underground for six months.

The Polit Bureau sends its heartfelt condolences to his daughter  
Ushasi and to the entire membership of the Party in West Bengal.