The passing of a stalwart

The passing of a stalwart Veteran communist and former Chief Minister of West Bengal Jyoti Basu passed away on Sunday at 11.47 am. CPM state secretary Biman Bose broke the news after all efforts failed to revive the 95-year-old leader suffering from multi - organ failure.

Prime Minister Manmohan Singh described Basu as one of the “great sons of India”. Union finance minister Pranab Mukherjee called him a “colossus” in Indian politics. “His death marked the end of an era in Indian politics,” said film-maker Mrinal Sen

In a political career spanning seven decades, Jyoti Basu never contested the Lok Sabha polls, but continued to influence national politics till the very end.

Born into privilege (his father was a US-trained doctor) and educated in elite institutions (Loreto, St Xavier’s School and Presidency College), his long political career started with being elected to the Bengal Legislative Assembly in 1946, he was one of the driving forces behind the transformation of Indian communists and played an integral role in the parliamentary system.