THOUGH I was anticipating the bad news, yet I felt terribly shaken after the real news of Bakshi da’s demise reached me. Sometimes the relationship with a person becomes so intense that it becomes difficult to accept the fact that he is no more. Ever since I met Comrade Bakshi, I started believing that I have got a comrade in the communist movement, in the truest sense. The painful sufferings from all kinds of social inequalities which I had to confront with since early stage of my life, made me look for ways out and I did not know how I landed up in a communist party. After I dissociated from the CPI(M), I heard the name of Comrade Bakshi during my dialogues with Comrade Nagabhushan Pattnaik. My attempts to understand the causes of division of the communist movement in the past, brought me to the CPI(ML). I met Comrade Bakshi, who became a friend, a comrade and a source of inspiration for me. He could have given us a lot more, but he left us so early.
Out of the growing hopelessness in the communist movement, the Naxalbari movement offered some hope and possibilities among change seekers and renewed their commitment. He was a bright example of such a hope.
He was a compassionate friend and shared all our pains and troubles in the personal front too. He had the conviction that personal intimacy with the families of the comrades and their families was needed to strengthen party organisation.
Along with Com Nagabhushan, he was instrumental in expanding the party in the southern coast of Odisha. Starting from the burning land issues to that of the struggles of fishermen and wage earners in Odisha, Comrade Bakshi was able to comprehend diverse issues and make the party workers understand them. How a revolutionary like him did not feel bad about admitting his pain at his own failures, I saw when he once became tearful about the fact that in spite of his best efforts, his desire to expand the party could not materialise.
He could execute the desire of Comrade Vinod Mishra to construct a Bhavan in the name of Comrade Nagabhushan after the latter’s demise. It was his dream that Nagabhushan Bhawan would act as a centre for all Party movements.
I won’t hear any more a soft voice over my phone with a friendly complaint, “Oh Radha babu, did you forget Comrade Bakshi?” But I am sure such a revolutionary with tremendous human spirit and loving qualities will always live in my heart and mind. My fellow comrades in Odisha, the progressive community here and above all the working class, landless agriculture workers, and fisherfolk will remember his association for a long time to come.
On behalf of all fellow comrades let me say a big “Lal Salaam” to Comrade Bakshi.
-- Radhakant Sethi
