Anil Biswas' body handed over to hospital authority

Kolkata, Mar 27 (UNI) The body of the departed CPI (M) leader Anil Biswas was handed over to the hospital authority as per his last wish as hundreds of people, including top leaders of the party, took part in the mourning procession to bid adieu to their colleague.

The last journey started from party headquarters at Alimuddin at 1645 hours and it took about an hour to reach the N R S Hospital.

Decked up in a red flag, the body was carried in an open carriage followed by party General Secretary Prakash Karat, Polit Bureau members M K Pandhe, Brinda Karat and other Central and state committee leaders.

They were followed by thousands of party workers carrying party flags, shouting slogans like 'Anil Biswas amar rahe' besides singing songs.

Anil Biswas had made a declaration in 2003 for donation of his body for medical research.

Mr Prakash Karat and other Polit Bureau leaders carried his body from the party headquarters to place it on the carriage.

Chief Minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee was also seen walking along the vehicle carrying the body.

In the morning, people from all walks of life, including Mr Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee, paid their last respects to the CPI(M) leader, whose body was kept at the party's state headquarters here.

Besides Mr Bhattacharjee, others who paid floral tributes to the departed leader, were CPI(M) Polit Bureau general secretary Prakash Karat, Lok Sabha Speaker Somnath Chatterjee, CPI(M) leader of the Lok Sabha Basudeb Acharya, Polit Bureau members M K Pandhe and Brinda Karat, veteran Marxist leader Jyoti Basu, former Pradesh Congress president Soumen Mitra and his colleagues Subrata Mukherjee and Sudip Banerjee, former Union Minister Tapan Sikdar and CPI leader Gurudas Dasputa.

State Industry Minister Nirupam Sen, Health Minister Suryakanta Mishra and Housing Minister Gautam Deb also placed wreaths on the body of the departed leader.

The UK Deputy High Commissioner, Bangladesh Workers Party Polit Bureau member Hyder Akbar Rano, filmmaker Mrinal Sen, poet Mallika Sengupta, singer Indranil Sen, Footballer P K Banerjee and state Human Rights Commission chairman Justice Shyamal Sen also paid last respect to the departed leader.

A host of industrialists, including Mr Pawan Kumar Ruia and Mr Harsh Neotia, also visited the party office.

Biswas died last evening. His body was kept overnight at Peace Haven before being taken to his residence and then to the party office this morning.

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