The communes last comrade

At 9 Dilkhusha Street in south Kolkata stands what is commonly known as the Dilkhusha commune,where communists who chose to would spend their lives away from their families to work for the party

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At 9 Dilkhusha Street in south Kolkata stands what is commonly known as the Dilkhusha commune,where communists who chose to would spend their lives away from their families to work for the party. The last of its residents died on Thursday.

Samar Mukherjee was 100,until his death the oldest living member of the CPM. He had lived in a commune since joining the Communist Party in 1940,first in Howrah and then in Dilkhusha from 1965. He had left his home in Amta,Howrah,to join the freedom struggle,and never returned. He remained a bachelor all his life.

There was talk about his body being taken to Amta to his surviving relatives two nephews and their families but the party could not manage the time. The body was taken instead to the partys Howrah district office,where he had begun as a trade union leader. Mukherjee has donated his body to NRS Hospital.

As the only remaining representative of a tradition now lost,he had such a stature that when he turned 100 last November,top CPM leaders including Prakash Karat took a break from their strict traditions and celebrated the birthday.

When the commune culture was prevailing,Dilkhushas residents included stalwarts such as CPM founder member Muzaffar Ahmed,Abdulla Rasul,Mahadeb Saha,Nirod Chakraborty and Rabin Sen. Over the years,their numbers dwindled,the lively debates fell silent,and the busy commune turned into a dilapidated building with a single resident.

That was besides Keshab Pahari,40,a CPM member who was looking after Mukherjee. Now I have no one to look after, an emotional Pahari said. During the last few days,he was beginning to lose his memory,but the smile on his face was broad as ever. He wonders about the future of the commune.

Mukherjee held several important posts while living there. He was in the Howrah commune in 1957 when he was elected an MLA for the first time,from North Howrah. By the time he became Howrah MP for the first of three successive terms in 1971,he was in Dilkhusha. He also had two Rajya Sabha terms,led Citu as general secretary from 1983 to 1991 he had been in the working committee since its inception and served as a CPM politburo member from 1978 to 1992,when the CPM congress elected him chairman of the central control commission. At the time of his death,he was a special invitee to the central committee.

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Pahari,Mukherjees closest aide for two decades,said he had been ill since the death of Jyoti Basu. He was forever optimistic the communists would return to power,Pahari said.

A politburo statement paid tribute to Mukherjee for his dedication and unwavering belief in the communist movement: The politburo of the CPIM expresses its deep sorrow at the death of Comrade Samar Mukherjee,a most exceptional,outstanding and dedicated leader of the communist movement in India8230; Rarely have we seen such an individual who sacrificed all personal interests,living a spartan life in a party commune in the service of the party. He was affable,easily accessible and loved by the people.