Last Journey of Com. Dipankar Mukherjee

Today at 4 PM Com Dipankar Mukherjee's mortal remains were consigned to flames at Lodhi Road electric crematorium. Beside CPI (M) polit bureau members Sitaram Yechury, Brinda Karat and A K Padmnabhan and CPI leaders Atul Kumar Anjan and Amarjeet Kaur large number of other leaders of left parties and CITU and other trade unions and democratic mass organisations were present there to pay their last respect to their respected colleague, friend and leader. Ravishankar Prasad, chief spokesman of BJP and member Rajya Sabha was also present on this occasion.

Before that last journey began from CITU head-quarters, BTR Bhavan. Com Dipankar's body was brought here and kept in state, before last journey. Here also large number of trade union and left political leaders and workers gathered to pay their last respect to departed leader. On behalf of CPI(M) beside party and TU leaders from various states, PBMs Sitaram Yechury, Brinda Karat and K Vardrajan laid wreath while on behalf of CPI A B Bardhan and D Raja paid floral tributes.

All India Secretary of CITU and former member of Rajya Sabha, com Deepankar Mukharjee passed away last morning at a Delhi hospital.

SFI National Conference Logo Released

All India conference of the Students Federation of India (SFI) will held in Madurai (Tamil Nadu) between September 4 and 7 would focus on centralisation and commercialisation, the two issues bothering Indian education, general secretary of the organisation Ritabrata Banerjee said on Monday.

Talking to reporters after releasing the logo for the conference, Mr. Banerjee said higher education in the country was in severe crisis and the Centre was trying to bring education under its control to pave the way for an increasing role of private players. “It wants to take away the rights of the State Government over education and the proposed bill to allow foreign universities to set up their campus in India is a proof that the Centre was not interested in spending for education,” he said.

  SFI president P.K. Biju said though the J.M. Lyngdoh committee had recommended elections to student unions in colleges and universities, many colleges and universities were against the idea though all citizens at the age of 18 was allowed to vote in general elections. Mr. Biju said SFI in Tamil Nadu had registered a good growth with its membership increasing around 35,000. The total membership in the country is 40 lakh.

CPI (M) politbureau member Sitaram Yechury, senior leader N. Sankaraiah and noted economist C.P. Chandrasekar are among those who will participate in the conference.