Kolkata: Marxist patriarch and former West Bengal chief minister Jyoti Basu, who was battling for life in a hospital here for the last fortnight, died on Sunday. “I have to give you a sad news that Jyoti Basu is no longer with us,” Biman Bose, the chairman of the Left Front coordination committee, announced to reporters a little around 1230 hrs. An emotional Bose said that Jyoti Babu is no longer in this world. 95-year-old Basu, who had suffered multi-organ failure was on a temporary pacemaker since late last night. Basu’s personal physician Dr Ajit Kumar Maity said that the veteran leader breathed his last at 11:47 am at the AMRI Hospital where he was admitted with pneumonia on January one. He was put on a ventilator on January six.
Basu, who strode the political arena like a colossus for over six decades, is survived by son Chandan. His wife Kamal pre-deceased him four years ago.
A political legend, Basu became the longest serving chief minister of West Bengal for 23 years from 1997 at the head of CPI-M-headed Left Front government.
Union Home Minister P Chidambaram, who was in the city, rushed to the hospital.
He said, “We have just learnt that Jyoti Basu, formally known as Jyoti Babu, has passed away. He strode like a collosus on the Indian political scene for several decades. He was a great patriot, a great democrat. He lived a full life”.
“For the last fortnight, he suffered a lot. The West Bengal government has provided him with the best medical care in the country. We are deeply sad at his passing away.
“I offer my sincere condolence to his family and the people of West Bengal,” he said.
Basu had been put on Slow Low Efficiency Daily Dialysis (SLEDD), but it was stopped after he was unable to tolerate it beyond seven-and-a-half hours yesterday.
It led to his heart beat and blood pressure dropping.
Basu to be cremated on Tuesday
The cremation of CPI(M) veteran Jyoti Basu, who died today, will take place on Tuesday, Kolkata Mayor Bikash Bhattacharjee said.
“His body will be taken to funeral parlour, Peace Heaven, from the hospital at 2:00 pm today. The cremation will take place at the Keoratala burning ghat on January 19,” Bhattacharjee told a news agency.
The eyes of Basu, who had donated them, were removed by doctors of an eye hospital.
The West Bengal government has declared a holiday tomorrow a as a mark of respect to Basu, the Mayor said.
In New Delhi, party’s Politbureau member S R Ramachandran Pillai said Basu will be cremated on Tuesday afternoon.
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