The Covid-19 second wave has cost the CPIML many precious comrades within a very short period – to the virus, and in many cases to the lack of availability of proper medical care.
In Patna, we lost Comrade Arvind Kumar Singh (Rtd. Professor, Commerce College, Patna) to Covid-19; he was a former Member, Central Control Commission, and was associated with the Publication Department of the party and its Hindi organ Lokyudh.
Covid-19 cost us Comrade Ram Pratap Paswan, Secretary of the Sikta Block Committee and Member of the Champaran District Committee, a courageous comrade who was a pillar of the party for decades, standing up to feudal violence.
In Gujarat, one of the pillars of the party was snatched away by Covid-19 – Comrade Lakshmanbhai Patanwadia, Member of the Gujarat State Leading Team, CPIML. Other heavy losses to Covid-19 include veteran Comrades Umar Daraz, Phulwarisharif; Jafar Javed, Gopalganj District President of Insaf Manch; Manoj Jha, Block Committee Member, Rahika (Madhubani), and District Vice President, AIKM; Parshuram Singh, Bhojpur District Committee Member and Secretary of Sandesh Block; Prof RN Vyas of Udaipur, Rajasthan; and Pravin Kushwaha, science policy researcher and former JNU student and AISA activist. Com. Tadi Musalamma, who had been active in party activities in Chintaluru village of Andhra Pradesh passed way on May 21, 2021. Comrades who passed away from non-Covid-related causes include Comrade Usha Sharma, District president, AIPWA Bhagalpur; and Comrade Allaudin Shastri, one of the founders of the Party in Pilibhit, Terai Region of Uttar Pradesh.
CPIML comrades were deeply shocked by the untimely death due to Covid-19 of Comrade Ambarish Rai, AIPF leader and social activist working for the right to education and land rights, and a former UP state committee member of the CPIML.
CPIML pays tribute to veteran leader of environment rights movements Sundarlal Bahuguna (94); Prof Dinesh Mohan of IIT who was deeply involved with a range of progressive causes; and Rajkumar Keswani, the journalist who first warned of the Bhopal Gas Tragedy. Keswani’s warning was not heeded, and he himself survived the disaster albeit with many health issues as a result, and ironically died due to Covid-19 – another avoidable disaster caused by the refusal of the government to heed warnings.
CPIML expresses condolences to people all over the country who have lost loved ones to Covid-19. Let us help and support each other in this time of collective grief and mourning. Let us strive to hold the Government of India and state governments accountable for each of these avoidable deaths.
