Date:28/03/2006 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2006/03/28/stories/2006032804221000.htm

National

Thousands bid farewell to Anil Biswas

Special Correspondent

The body was donated to hospital for medical research as per his wish

GOOD BYE, COMRADE: Veteran Marxist leader Jyoti Basu pays homage to CPI (M) Polit Bureau member Anil Biswas in Kolkata on Monday. Biswas died in a city nursing home on Sunday. -- PHOTO: SUSHANTA PATRONOBISH

KOLKATA: The body of Communist Party of India (Marxist) leader Anil Biswas was donated to the Nil Ratan Sircar Medical College and Hospital here on Monday for medical research, as he desired. Earlier the body was taken in a procession from the State party headquarters.

Thousands lined the procession route to catch a last glimpse of the departed leader, who died on Sunday.

The body was placed in a hearse bedecked with flowers. CPI (M) general secretary Prakash Karat, his colleagues in the Polit Bureau, West Bengal Chief Minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee, Left Front committee chairman Biman Bose, and several other Left Front leaders were among those in the procession.

Floral tributes

At the party headquarters, leaders of different parties, important personalities and hundreds of mourners paid floral tributes to Anil Biswas.

Among those who paid their last respects were veteran Marxist leader Jyoti Basu, Polit Bureau members M.K. Pandhe and Brinda Karat, and Lok Sabha Speaker Somnath Chatterjee.