Veteran Left leader Samir Putatundu died at a private hospital in Kolkata following prolonged illness.
Putatundu was 74 and survived by his wife, Anuradha.
He had been unwell for quite some time and breathed his last around 11.15 pm on Sunday, an official of the private hospital in Mukundapur, where he was admitted, said.
Putatundu, a prominent figure in the Left movement in West Bengal, was an influential CPI(M) leader. He left the party following ideological clashes, along with Saifuddin Choudhury, and co-founded the Party of Democratic Socialism (PDS), which has not seen much electoral success.
Over the years, he played a significant role in several political struggles, including the anti-land acquisition movement in Singur and Nandigram, led by Mamata Banerjee, in the late 2000s.
Condoling the death, the CM said she felt deeply heartbroken.
“It feels as though I have lost someone of my own. We worked together in the Singur-Nandigram movement. There are no words to console Anuradha and the others, yet I am always by their side,” she posted on X.
CPI(ML) Liberation general secretary Dipankar Bhattacharya said he has many fond memories of Putatundu.
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“I have many fond memories of interacting with him and other PDS comrades in struggles against SEZs and corporate takeover, from the Singur-Nandigram days in West Bengal to the historic citizenship movement and farmers’ movement in recent years, and in the fight to foil the BJP’s fascist game plan in the state,” he said.
“My heartfelt tribute to Comrade Samir Putatunda and condolences to Anuradhadi, other family members, friends and comrades,” he added.
Senior CPI(M) leader Sujan Chakraborty remembered Putatunda as a committed political activist who remained engaged with people’s movements throughout his life.
