HA Block

Former MP Amitava Nandy died on Friday. The 73-year-old resident of HA Block had been admitted on July 24 to Apollo Gleneagles Hospitals and breathed his last there at 8am, following prolonged illness owing to pancreatic cancer. The veteran CPM leader was a member of the party’s North 24 Parganas district secretariat. He is survived by his wife Ila, who is the councillor of Ward 17 and the leader of Opposition in the Bidhannagar Municipality, a son and a daughter.

His body was preserved for a night at Peace Haven. On Saturday, he was taken to the party’s state headquarters at Alimuddin Street where leaders like Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee, Surya Kanta Mishra and Asim Dasgupta paid their last respects. In course of his last journey, he was brought to his HA Block home for half an hour around midday. His last rites took place at Ariadaha crematorium, closest to the Belghoria local committee office where he spent a significant period of his political life.

Nandy was the MP of Dum Dum in the 2004-2009 term. He lost to Saugata Roy in the 2009 Lok Sabha election. Earlier, he had contested and lost the Habra Assembly seat in 2001.

A native of Comilla in erstwhile East Bengal, he shifted to Belghoria after Partition. He joined the United Bank of India after graduation, a job he quit in 1994 to work full time for the party. He had been detected with cancer about a year ago and had also been taken to Hyderabad and London for treatment. Despite his illness, Nandy had remained politically active till the recent months.

A meeting would be organised by the party in his memory on August 26 in Belghoria. The HA Block Residents’ Forum will hold one on August 31 in the evening at the community hall.

Ramola Chakraborty, wife of former minister Subhas Chakraborty, places a pillow under Amitava Nandy’s head as his wife Ila (centre) looks on. (Below) Mourners gather in front of his HA Block residence as the hearse starts on the last journey. (Saradindu Chaudhury)