People's Democracy

Tearful Adieu to

Comrade Shyamali Gupta

CPI(M) central committee member and leader of the democratic women’s movement Comrade Shyamali Gupta breathed her last on 25th November morning in her residence in Kolkata. She returned to Kolkata from AIDWA all India conference in Bodhgaya on Saturday as she fell ill.

Comrade Shyamali Gupta was born to Amala Dasgupta and Jayanta Kumar Dasgupta on 1st June 1945 in Kolkata. After schooling she graduated from Jadavpur University and earned her Master’s degree from Kolkata University.  She was involved in the student movement in student days and participated in anti-imperialist protests on Vietnam issues in the sixties.  She earned the membership of the undivided Communist Party in 1963.  She played an important role in building up of BPSF, particularly after 1964.

Comrade Shyamali Gupta later joined in the teaching profession and was a lecturer in Siliguri College, Bankura Christian College and Netajinagar College. She was married to Comrade Shankar Gupta, a leader of the youth movement and later a member of the state assembly. Comrade Shankar Gupta died untimely.

Along with the Party work, Comrade Shyamali Gupta joined in women’s movement in the seventies. She worked extensively, particularly in Bankura district. She later started working throughout the state and in 1983 she was elected as general secretary of the Paschimbanga Ganatantrik Mahila Samity. She worked in this capacity up to 1996, when she was elected as working president of the organisation.  In 2000, Comrade Shyamali Gupta was elected as president of the organisation and worked in the post for the next ten years. In 1990, Comrade Shyamali Gupta was elected as all India general secretary of AIDWA but later she concentrated her work in West Bengal. She was elected as president of AIDWA in 2010. In the just concluded all India conference, she was elected as a Patron.

Comrade Shyamali Gupta was elected to CPI(M) West Bengal state committee in 1985 and served as a state secretariat member from 2010. She was elected to CPI(M) central committee in 2002 from Seventeenth Congress in Hyderabad.

Comrade Shyamali Gupta left her son, daughter in law and a grandson. Her whole family is associated with the Party. 

Comrade Shyamali Gupta finally departed from her comrades and friends on Tuesday afternoon with a condolence rally carrying her body through the streets of Kolkata.

In the morning, Comrade Shyamali Gupta’s body was taken to her home. From there the departed leader’s body was taken to AIDWA West Bengal state committee office and was kept for paying tributes. All India leadership of AIDWA, including Brinda Karat, Sudha Sundarraman, Jagmmati Sangwan, Sathyabati, Ashalata, Malini Bhattacharya, Rama Das, Tapashi Praharaj were present. State AIDWA leaders, including Banani Biswas, Minati Ghosh, Rekha Goswami and others paid their tearful salutes to Comrade Shyamalidi.

The body was then taken to CPI(M) state committee office. Polit Bureau  member Nirupam Sen laid Red flag on her body. Biman Basu, Md Amin, Brinda Karat and central committee members paid their respects there. CPI(M) state and district leaders, leaders of mass organisations also laid flowers on her body as a mark of respect. Later, hundreds of people marched in the funeral rally to the crematorium where Comrade Shyamalidi was cremated.

(INN)