Samir Putatundu, West Bengal Left leader who joined Mamata Banerjee for Singur, passes away at 74
Samir Putatundu co-founded the Party for Democratic Socialism along with Saifuddin Choudhury and contested the 2011 Assembly polls against Buddhadeb Bhattacharya.
Putatundu began his political career with the Left student movement and later served as the state president of the Student Federation of India (SFI) in 1979. (Source: X/@PutatundaSamir)
Samir Putatundu, a veteran Left leader in West Bengal and co-founder of Party for Democratic Socialism (PDS), died at a private hospital in South Kolkata Sunday night. He was 74. He had been suffering from various diseases for several days, said family sources.
Putatundu began his political career with the Left student movement and later served as the state president of the Student Federation of India (SFI) in 1979. He was well-known for his organisational skills within the party, and during the 1990s, he served as the Communist Party of India (Marxist)’s district secretary for South 24 Parganas.
However, due to ideological differences, he left the CPI(M) just before the 2011 Assembly elections along with another prominent leader, Saifuddin Choudhury. The duo formed the PDS, and Putatundu contested against the then chief minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharya at the Jadavpur Assembly constituency, but lost the polls.
Putatundu also played a significant role during the Singur and Nandigram farmer-led movements alongside Trinamool Congress (TMC) leader Mamata Banerjee, the incumbent West Bengal chief minister. With his extensive organisational experience, he provided considerable support to Banerjee during those movements. However, Choudhury opposed Banerjee’s campaign against the CPI(M) government at that time.
After Putatundu’s death, CM Banerjee expressed her grief and wrote on X, “I am deeply saddened by the loss of Samir Putatundu, a once powerful leader of the Left movement. It feels like I have lost someone of my own. We worked together in the Singur-Nandigram movement. There are no words to console (his wife) Anuradha, but I am always by her side.”
CPI(M) Central Committee member Sujan Chakraborty wrote on X, “Former SFI state president and later PDS leader Sameer Putatundu has passed away. I mourn his death. And I pay tribute to his memory. His wife Anuradha Dev was in the student movement and was our colleague. I talked with Anuradha Dev and expressed my condolences.”
Atri Mitra is a highly accomplished Special Correspondent for The Indian Express, bringing over 20 years of experience to his reporting. His work is characterized by deep regional knowledge and a focus on critical administrative and political developments, establishing strong Expertise and Authority in his domain.
Experience
Current Role: Special Correspondent, The Indian Express.
Decades of Experience: Over two decades of extensive reporting experience, primarily covering administration and political news.
Geographical Focus: Holds significant reporting experience from West Bengal, Bihar, and the North-East, providing a comprehensive understanding of the socio-political landscape in these regions.
Key Coverage: Has dedicated more than ten years to covering administration and political news, with a keen focus on political developments in West Bengal.
Electoral Reporting: Demonstrated a commitment to crucial political moments, having covered the 2009 Lok Sabha election and 2010 assembly elections during his time at Anandabazar Patrika, and the 2019 Bihar Lok Sabha election while working with News18-Bangla.
Career Foundation: Began his career at the leading vernacular daily Anandabazar Patrika, where he worked for more than fifteen years, including a three-year stint as the Bihar correspondent.
Education
Advanced Degree: Holds a Master's degree in Economics from Rabindrabharati University, providing an analytical framework for his political and administrative reporting.
Undergraduate Education: Holds a Bachelor's degree from Calcutta University.
Prestigious Alumni: His educational background includes attending esteemed institutions: he is an alumnus of St. Xavier's, Kolkata and Ramakrishna Mission Asrama, Narendrapur.
Atri Mitra's decades of dedicated reporting, substantial focus on political and administrative beats, and solid academic credentials make him a trusted and authoritative source for news and analysis from Eastern and North-Eastern India. ... Read More
