Socialist activist Sunil, better known among all people’s movement activists as Sunil Bhai, passed away following a sudden stroke on April 21st, 2014.
Sunil Bhai was the general secretary of the Samajwadi Jan Parishad, founded by the late Kishan Patnaik. Born in Rampura, Mandsaur, his life as an activist began in the Samata Yuvajan Sabha in Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi, where he did an MA in Economics.
He worked with the Lohia Manch in Hoshangabad’s Kesla in 1984. He led agitations for rehabilitation of Tawa Dam oustees in 1995 and established India’s most successful adivasi fishing cooperative in the Tawa Dam area. It was later broken up when the catchment area was absorbed by the Satpura Tiger Reserve. In the recent past, Sunil avoided merging his party with Aam Aadmi Party during the Wardha Conference of social activists in January this year, on grounds that it did not offer alternative economic and development policies.
He lived a simple life, in touch with nature, and never used his surname, for himself or his children, in opposition to casteism. Gupta was working on an editorial piece for his bi-monthly Samyik Varta when he suffered the stroke.
CPI(ML) expresses condolence to Sunil Bhai’s family and comrades. He will be sorely missed by all activists of people’s movements
