Benoy Konar

Calcutta, Sept. 14: Benoy Konar, a former CPM central committee member who was involved in the peasants’ movement, died today at a Calcutta nursing home following prolonged illness. He was 84.

Benoy Konar is survived by his wife Maharani, two sons and two daughters. Maharani is a former CPM MLA.

Benoy Konar was the younger brother of Hare Krishna Konar, a communist leader who pioneered the land reforms movement in Bengal.

Born in 1930 in an affluent family of farmers in Burdwan’s Memari, Benoy Konar became a member of the undivided communist party in 1948. He was elected from the Memari Assembly constituency in 1969, 1971 and 1977.

In April 2012, Benoy Konar was appointed the chairman of the central control commission, a disciplinary body, at the CPM party congress in Kozhikode. He later excused himself from the post on health grounds.

Benoy Konar had been the president of the Bengal and central units of the All India Krishak Sabha, the CPM peasants’ wing.

Saifuddin dead

Saifuddin Choudhury, a five-time CPM MP, died in Delhi today. Choudhary, 62, was suffering from cancer. After resigning from the CPM, Choudhury had formed the Party of Democratic Socialism.