Keralavaartha Tributes Great Communist Leader Jyothi Basu

On 17th Sunday 2009 at 12.10 pm, an emotional Biman Bose, the Chairman of the Left Front coordination committee announced: "I have to give you sad news that Jyoti Basu is no longer with us. That declared the end of an era of veteran Communist leader and former West Bengal Chief Minister Jyoti Basu. He passed away at a Kolkata hospital at 11:47am on Sunday and was 95 years old.

Basu, who had suffered multi-organ failure was on a temporary pacemaker since late Saturday night. Basu's eyes and his dead body will be donated.
He is survived by son, Chandan Basu and several grandchildren.
His last rites will be held on 19th Tuesday. Leaders from all over India and from across parties will attend his funeral.
The leader's body is first being taken to his son's house in Salt Lake, then to Jyoti Basu's own house Meera Bhawan, also in Salt Lake. Later, the body will then be taken to an undertaker, Peace Haven, in central Kolkata to prepare it for public tribute on Monday. There has been some confusion about the cremation as Basu is said to have donated his body for medical research.
A CPM statement read out at the hospital said that details would be decided upon by the Secretariat which would meet on Sunday evening at the Alimuddin Street office of the party, after which Chief Minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharya would meet the press.
The West Bengal government has declared a holiday on Monday as a mark of respect to Basu.
In Bihar, Chief Minister Nitish Kumar has declared a three-day state mourning.
Jyoti Basu would have finished 70 years in politics on January 1, 2010. But it was on that day he was admitted to hospital never to come out again.
The veteran leader was admitted to the hospital with chest infection and was found suffering from pneumonia following CT-scan and X-ray tests. Basu was on ventilator since January 6 after his condition worsened.
CPM general secretary Prakash Karat was there and others like Brinda Karat have left for Kolkata. Renowned filmmaker, Mrinal Sen visited the hospital to pay his tributes. As did Union Minister and Trinamool Congress leader Mamata Banerjee.
President Pratibha Patil, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and Congress President Sonia Gandhi have condoled Jyoti Basu's death.
An era in West Bengal politics has come to an end with Jyoti Basu's death. Basu was Chief Minister of Bengal for 23 years. With his death the Surjeet-Basu era in the CPM has ended. Basu, in fact was the last living member of the first Politburo of the CPM. Jyoti Basu led the Left Front to power in West Bengal in 1977 and remained Chief Minister till 2000. He could have been India's Prime Minister, but turned down the offer in 1996. Basu's last public appearance was on his 95th birthday in July 2009. He had retired from active politics but remained at the heart of the party's activities.
In a statement read out by CPM leader Sitaram Yechury in Delhi, the party pledged to carry on the strong traditions and work of Jyoti Basu.
News courtesy: NDTV.com