Thaindian News

Agartala, June 7 (IANS) The Tripura government declared a holiday Tuesday in the memory of veteran communist leader Baidyanath Majumder, who died earlier in the day, officials said here.

He would be cremated Wednesday with full state honours, they said.

Majumder, 88, one of the communist father figures in Tripura, died here after a prolonged illness.

Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPI-M) Tripura state committee secretary Bijon Dhar said: “The party flag would fly at half-mast for three days in all party offices across Tripura in memory of Majumder.”

“All party programmes would remain suspended for three days across Tripura to show respect to the departed leader,” Dhar, accompanied by senior party leader Gautam Das, told reporters.

CPI-M general secretary Prakash Karat, West Bengal Left Front chairman Biman Bose, Tripura Chief Minister Manik Sarkar, Leader of Opposition in the assembly and Congress leader Ratan Lal Nath and top leaders of all political parties have expressed grief over Majumder’s death.

A senior Tripura government official said here that the cabinet led by Sarkar held a meeting to mourn the death of Majumder, who was the deputy chief minister of Tripura from 1993-98.

A condolence procession, with 88 CPI-M party flag bearers in the front, went around the capital city.

Majumder’s body would be kept at the CPI-M party office here to allow people pay their last respects.

His cremation would be held Wednesday afternoon at the Marxist leader’s ancestral home town in Kailashahar in North Tripura, 155 km from here.