Basu and Mamata condole the death of Biswas

Kolkata, Mar 26 (UNI) Veteran Marxist leader Jyoti Basu and Trinamool Congress chief Mamata Banerjee were among a host of political leaders who condoled the death of CPI(M) West Bengal State Committee Secretary Anil Biswas at a city nursing home this evening.

Describing Mr Biswas as a mass leader, Mr Basu said his death was a great loss to the party.

''He was not only a leader of the party, but he became a leader of the mass. He had established himself among the people while discharging organisational duties. His death has caused a great loss to us,'' Mr Basu said.

The nonagenarian leader, who visited the nursing home little before Mr Biswas breathed his last, received the news after coming back to his residence.

Paying tributes to Mr Biswas for his cool and poise, Mr Basu said the departed leader was also an extremely hard worker, who had devoted himself to the party's organisational work and enjoyed the love of the common people.

Mr Biswas also had a great contribution in the improvement of the party's Bengali mouthpiece 'Ganashakti', which he had served as editor for 15 years, Mr Basu said.

''Once he told me that the Left Front would retain power by winning more seats in the coming Assembly elections. What he said I used as a slogan in a number of election rallies. Now I feel that the best way to pay respect to him is to instal the seventh Left Front Government by bigger margins,'' Mr Basu said.

Describing Mr Biswas as a ''good person'' Ms Banerjee said she was grieved by losing her political opponent.

''Though we did not share the same political views, he was a good person,'' she said and conveyed her condolences to the bereaved family.

CPI State Committee Secretary Manju Kumar Majumder said the death of Mr Biswas had done a great damage to the Left movement in the state. '' I do not know how this damage can be repaired,'' he said.

RSP leader Khshiti Goswami said it was an ''unthinkable loss for the Left before the elections''.

State Health minister Surya Kanta Mishra also condoled the death of Mr Biswas.

All India State government Employees Federation also condoled the death.

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