CPI-ML LEADER SWADESH BHATTACHARYA PASSED AWAY

CPI-ML LEADER SWADESH BHATTACHARYA PASSED AWAY

1-NOV-ENG 2

RAJIV NAYAN AGRAWAL

ARA-------------------------Senior party leader, in-charge of the Central Organization Department, and Politburo member Comrade Swadesh Bhattacharya breathed his last at Ruban Memorial Hospital in Patna. He had been taken to the hospital following a sharp drop in his blood oxygen levels and blood pressure, but doctors were unable to save him.

His mortal remains were brought from Patna to Ara at 12:00 PM today. They will lie in state at Kranti Park in Ara for public viewing from the afternoon of October 31 until 8:00 AM on November 1. Thousands gathered in Ara to pay their tributes and bid a final farewell. Upon the arrival of the mortal remains at Kranti Park, the first to lay garlands were State Secretary Kunal, District Secretary Abhyudaya, MLA Sandeep Saurabh, Karakat MLA Arun Singh, former MLA Gopal Ravidas, Politburo member Meena Tiwari, MLC Shashi Yadav, Politburo member Amar, Central Committee member and Rohtas Secretary Jawaharlal Singh, Central Committee member and Buxar District Secretary Naveen Kumar, Manohar Singh, Central Committee member Raju Yadav, State Committee member and former Dumraon MLA Ajit Kushwaha, former Agiaon MLA Shivprakash Ranjan, Vijay Ojha, City Secretary Sudhir Singh, Upendra Bharti, Qayamuddin Ansari, Sangeeta Singh, Indu Singh, Shobha Mandal, CPI District Secretary Uttam Gupta, RJD District Vice-President Manmohan Singh (alias Mantu Sharma), District Office Secretary Dilraj Pritam, Jitendra Singh, Rajnath Ram, Chandan Kumar, and Harinath Ram, among many others. Following this, a one-minute silence was observed as a tribute to his memory.

The memorial meeting was conducted by Abhyudaya, a member of the CPI(ML) Central Committee and the District Secretary.

On the morning of November 1st, at 8:00 AM, his mortal remains will be transported from Ara back to Patna. From the afternoon onwards, they will be kept at 213-Karakat, New MLA Flats, Veerchand Patel Path, Patna, for those who wish to pay their last respects. He will remain there until the afternoon of the following day, November 2nd.

His final procession will commence from this location at 12:00 PM on November 2nd, and the final farewell will take place in Patna. Party leaders and activists from various parts of the country are arriving in Patna to join the final procession and bid him a final farewell.

Party General Secretary Comrade Dipankar Bhattacharya will also participate in the final procession. He is scheduled to arrive in Patna late tomorrow evening, November 1st.

Comrade Swadesh Bhattacharya was the last surviving member of the CPI(ML)’s reconstituted Central Committee, which was formed in July 1974. The other two members of this Central Committee—established on July 28, 1974—were Comrade Jauhar (Subrata Dutt) and Comrade Vinod Mishra, the latter of whom served as the party’s General Secretary following Comrade Charu Majumdar. Swadesh Bhattacharya also served as the Secretary of the party’s Bihar State Committee from 1974 to 1980. Following his passing, the party flag at the Bihar State Office has been lowered.

Over the past five decades, he served as a vital pillar in the party’s continuous progress and its ongoing journey. He will always be remembered for his selfless communist commitment to the party, his spirit of sacrifice, and the deep warmth and sensitivity he extended to all his comrades. Addressing a memorial meeting held at Kranti Park following his passing, CPI(ML) Politburo member and State Secretary Kunal stated that Comrade Swadesh Bhattacharya had played an active role in the party—from its reorganization to the present day. He contributed significantly to the expansion of the party and the building of its organization, starting from the Naxalbari movement. Even under the most adverse circumstances, he remained committed to advancing the party and the movement. His passing is an irreparable loss to the party; he will always remain a source of inspiration. His life’s journey and his struggles serve as an inspiration for students, youth, and communist activists, and offer strength during difficult times.