The Centre of Indian Trade Unions is deeply grieved at the demise of Comrade Shyamal Chakraborty, senior and veteran leader of the country’s trade union movement and a leading personality of CITU. Com Chakraborty was admitted in nursing home at Kolkata for lung ailment a few days back. He was also affected by Covid. He breathed his last today on 6th August 2020 around 1-45 pm. He was 77.
Com Shyamal Chakraborty joined the student movement and the communist movement in his early youth during mid fifties. He had been one of the frontline organizers of the then All India Student Federation (AISF) and took active part in the surging peoples’ struggles in West Bengal during that period prolonging to next decade at the initiative of the Left forces braving police atrocities and imprisonment at different spells. Afterwards he was one of the founder leaders of SFI and played important role in organizing SFI in other states as well besides leading the movement in West Bengal. Subsequently he joined the trade union movement and played front line role in organizing the working class movement in west Bengal and also in national sphere. He had been actively associated in leading the movement in number of strategic sector like electricity, road transport, port & dock etc and had been in the national level leadership of the respective all India federations. He led the West Bengal CITU as the president of the state CITU for around two decades. Com Shyamal Chakraborty was elected in the national secretariat of CITU from its 7th Conference in 1991 and had been in that position as Vice President till the 15th Conference of CITU and got voluntarily relieved from that position in the 16th Conference of CITU held in 2020, despite remaining quite active in trade union work. Com Chakraborty’s initiative and contribution in building up joint movement of all trade unions and mass organizations on peoples’ burning livelihood and rights related issues in the state will be ever remembered.
Com Shyamal Chakraorty played important role in parliamentary front as well. He was elected MLA four times and discharged the responsibility as Minister of Transport in the Left Front Govt in the state for two terms. He also left the imprint of his powerful interventions championing the cause of the people and working class as a member of Rajya Sabha during 2008—2014. He was also most popular orator and speaker and could attract the audience quite convincingly.
Com Shyamal Chakraborty was also a prolific writer. His creativity in this field was not only limited to trade union literature but also in the stream of history, social science and various other political issues. He had authored number of books on different subjects.
At com Shyamal Chakraborty’s demise, the trade union movement has lost a veteran leader, the democratic movement also lost one of the stalwarts. The loss is irreparable.
CITU conveys its heartfelt condolences at the demise of one of its senior leaders, com Shyamal Chakraborty, to his bereaved daughter Ushasi and other family members and other comrades. CITU dips its flag in respectful homage to the departed leader. Comrade Shyamal Chakraborty Amar Rahe.
Tapan Sen
General Secretary
