Comrade Madhukar Katre, President of Lal Nishan Party (L), passed away on 16 of January, 2009 in a hospital in Ahmednagar, Maharashtra. Born in Pune on 05.02.1927, Com. Katre joined the freedom movement even as a young schoolboy in Kolhapur.

Later, he embraced Marxism-Leninism, took active part in the freedom struggle as well as the Praja Parishad struggle against abolition of the princely state of Kolhapur. He was jailed for 17 months for his participation in the movement.

Later he also took leading part in the Goa Liberation struggle and also the movement for the formation of Sanyukta Maharashtra. Later still, he led the struggle for implementation of tenancy legislation of the Maharashtra State.

Later along with Comrade Sataram Patil, he founded the movement of Co-operative Sugar Factory Workers in 1982. He had also been the General Secretary of the Maharashtra Rajya Sahakari Kamgar Mahasangh, from which platform he helped organize a militant Trade Union movement of the Co-operative Sugar Factory Workers, which created a broad rural base for the Lal Nishan Party. He was also the founder of the organization for the much exploited Sugarcane Cutters of the Co-operative Sugar Industry and was the General Secretary of their State-level organization.

As a leader of Lal Nishan Party, he played a leading role in the movement of the peasantry for relief and elimination of famine in Maharashtra as also in organizing the Municipal Workers. He was also a front-ranking leader of the landless labourers, and of the Maharashtra Rajya Sheti Mahamandal.

He was an inevitable part of struggles of road workers, forest workers, and other sections of the rural working class.

When there was a split in the Lal Nishan Party, he joined the Lal Nishan Party (Leninist) in 1989, where he eventually was elected President. In spite of health troubles he remained active till the end of his life.

On 17 January, a massive funeral procession was held at Ahmednagar in which a wide cross section of people from Ahmednagar District apart from Party Leaders, paid tribute to him.
He is warmly remembered by many comrades of CPI(ML) with whom he had many comradely interactions.

Liberation pays heartfelt revolutionary tribute to Comrade Katre, and condolences to his family as well as comrades of the LNP (L).