COM. DIPEN GHOSH PASSED AWAY

Com. Dipen Ghosh, Ex-MP and veteran leader of left movement and CPI (M) expired on 13.11.2016 at Kolkata. He was a great leader and guiding spirit of Central Government employees movement. He joined commercial Intelligence & Statistics department, a Central Govt. organization in the year 1953. From 1956 he was the General Secretary of Central Government Employees Co-ordination Committee, West Bengal State. He continued as the President of the organization from 1982. He had led the employees movement not only at the state level but also at National forums. He was the Vice President of All India Defence Employees Federation. Twice he remained in jail custody for 23 months. He was detained without trial under MISA for his active involvement in the historic Railway strike of 1974. During the dark days of Emergency he was imprisoned for 19 months at a stretch and was dismissed from his job. Later he was reinstated after protracted legal battle.

In 1981 he resigned from his job and was elected to the Rajya Sabha as CPI (M) MP from West Bengal. He continued as an MP for 12 years. He was very close to late Com. Jyothi Basu.

During the period from 1978 to 1995 I had the opportunity to work very closely with Com. Dipen. As the leader of the CPI(M) Group in Rajya Sabha he helped us a lot in raising many issues in the Parliament. Even after his return to Kolkata we continued correspondence on many issues.

I convey heartfelt condolence to the bereaved family members of Com. Dipenda.

........ P S Ramankutty .....