CPI-M veteran and former MP Shyamal Chakraborty dies
Ankur Bhattacharya
KOLKATA, August 06 2020 (HS): Shyamal Chakraborty, veteran CPI-M trade union leader, former state cabinet minister and former MP, passed away this afternoon at private hospital in the city after suffering a massive cardiac arrest. He is survived by his only daughter. His wife predeceased him long ago.
The Octogenarian CPI-M Central Committee member and a former Rajya Sabha MP, Chakraborty was suffering from severe lung infection and breathing troubles for some time. He also tested Covid-19 positive last week after his admission to the hospital on July 26. According to hospital sources Chakraborty was under ventilation from August 1, following the deterioration of his condition.
But he suffered a massive cardiac arrest this noon and breathed his last at 1:50 pm despite all attempts by the doctors. Former State Transport minister in Jyoti Basu Cabinet in late 1990s, Chakraborty was also the West Bengal state president of CITU, the labour organisation of CPI-M for long.
Yesterday Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee had called up his daughter and wished his speedy recovery, besides assuring all assistance from the state government. As the news of his death spread, several senior CPI-M and other Left Front leaders including Left Front Chairman Biman Bose, CPI-M state Secretary Suryakanta Mishra and senior party leader Sujan Chakraborty expressed their deep grief at the passing away of their long time associate and senior party colleague and described it as an irreparable loss.
We do not know how to pay our last respect to him since he tested Corona positive and his last rites would be performed as per the guidelines, the leaders said while expressing their condolences to Chakraborty's daughter.