CPI(M) today expressed grief over the death of Benoy Konar, a front-ranking leader of West Bengal, saying his passing away was a major loss to the peasant movement.
Konar, who died in Kolkata yesterday at the age of 84, was a leading figure in the peasant movements of Bengal from 1950s to the 70s.
He had led various struggles of the agricultural workers and poor peasants and later rose to hold important positions in the party and the peasants wing in Bengal to become the national President of the All India Kisan Sabha, a post he held for a number of years, the party Politburo said in a condolence message.
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Konar, who became a member of the Communist Party in 1948, was elected to the CPI(M) Central Committee in 1995 and became Chairman of the Central Control Commission in the 20th Congress of the Party.
He was also elected thrice to the state Assembly from Memari constituency in Burdwan district.
Konar faced police repression during his political activities and had spent six years and nine months in jail. He had also worked underground during the peasants struggles in Burdwan.
A powerful speaker, Konar "was known for his firm ideological commitment to Marxism and led an exemplary life marked by simplicity. In his death, the Communist movement and the peasant movement have suffered a big loss," the CPI(M) said.
He was the brother of another firebrand Marxist stalwart Hare Krishna Konar, who had also played a major role in carrying out land reforms by the erstwhile Left Front in West Bengal.
