Tripura mourns Jyoti Basu’s death

AGARTALA - The Tripura government Monday mourned the death of veteran communist leader Jyoti Basu, who died in Kolkata Sunday, saying the state has lost one of its best friends.

“Tripura has lost one of its best friends,” said a state government condolence resolution that was passed at a special cabinet meeting Monday.

The state would be in mourning Monday and Tuesday and will also declare a holiday Tuesday.

“The national flag would fly at half-mast and official functions would remain suspended for two days (Monday and Tuesday),” an official told reporters.

Chief Minister Manik Sarkar, who chaired the special cabinet meeting, left here Monday noon to attend Basu’s last procession in Kolkata Tuesday. Eight other top leaders of the Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPI-M) accompanied Sarkar.

“Basu had very good and hearty relations with the people of Tripura. He rushed to Tripura whenever the state needed his help. It is not easy to fill the void,” the cabinet resolution added.

The state committee of the CPI-M would organise silent processions across Tripura Tuesday and hold condolence meetings Jan 25 in all divisions as a mark of respect to one of India’s tallest political leaders.

“When the Left Front government led by former chief minister Nripen Chakraborty assumed office for the first time in Tripura in 1978, Basu had helped the government by giving him invaluable advices,” a CPI-M statement said.

The statement said: “Basu had also helped the government and party in Tripura to deal with the attacks on party leaders and workers by Congress and its allies and to develop the state and its people.”