Noted filmmaker Rituparno Ghosh passed away

Noted filmmaker Rituparno Ghosh died of cardiac arrest on Thursday at his south Kolkata residence.

He was 49.

Winner of 12 national and some international awards, Ghosh was suffering from pancreatitis and died of heart attack at 7.30 am, his family said.

Ghosh shot to fame with a children’s film directed by him ‘Hirer Angti’ in 1994. His film ‘Unishe April’ won the national award in 1995.

His other widely acclaimed films include ‘Dahan’, ’Asukh’, ‘Chokher Bali’, ‘Raincoat’, ‘Bariwali’, ‘Antarmahal’ and ‘Noukadubi’.

Thespian Soumitra Chatterjee deeply mourned Ghosh’s death, saying, “I cannot believe that Rituparna is no more. It is very difficult to accept this news. We lost a very promising film director at a very early age.”

Many film actors and actresses thronged his residence to pay their last respects.

Renowned artist Soumitra Chatterjee, said the news came as a great shock to him.

“He was a great genius and the void left after his death cannot be easily filled,” the actor said.

Raima Sen, grand daughter of legendary Suchitra Sen, said she was indebted to “Rituda” to give the turning point in her career.

“Rituda gave me a break with the film ’Chokher Bali’. He was more than a director to me; he was almost a part of our family. He was an unmeasurable genius,” she said.

Fellow national award-winning director Kaushik Ganguly said he was left shattered by the news.

Similar was the reaction of theatre personality Kaushik Sen who said, “He was supposed to come to watch my next production. It was a great loss.”

Panchayat Election Incidents of violence reported from districts

On Day 1 of filing nominations, allegations galore in West Bengal
A report from The Hindu 30/5/2013

Incidents of violence reported from districts such as Bardhaman, Bankura, South 24 Parganas and Howrah

The filing of nomination papers for rural polls in the nine districts of West Bengal that go to polls in the first phase on July 2 started on Wednesday amid complaints from the Left Front and the Congress that their candidates were prevented from collecting and filing their nomination papers by Trinamool Congress activists.

There were reports of violence from districts such as Bardhaman, Bankura, South 24 Parganas and Howrah, where prospective candidates were reportedly intimidated and, at certain places, attacked. “We had repeatedly urged the State Election Commission to ensure necessary security for a free and fair election. With the election panel not having made enough security arrangements so far and a section of administration being partisan to the ruling party, the entire democratic process of election is in jeopardy,” a statement issued by State Left Front Committee chairperson Biman Bose said. Meanwhile, a State Congress delegation met Governor M.K. Narayanan and alleged that Trinamool was not allowing their party candidates file nomination papers. “Despite the presence of State police, the Trinamool Congress is trying to create trouble at various places,” State Congress president Pradip Bhattacharya said.

Trinamool scared

Alleging that security forces were virtually absent in various parts of the districts going to polls, Communist Party of India (Marxist) State Secretariat member Rabin Deb said the administration had not provided any security to Left Front candidates. Trinamool, he said, was scared of its shrinking support base and had realised that its victory was not possible unless it resorted to attacking Left Front candidates.

SEC seeks report
The State Election Commission has sought a report from the district administrations of Bardhaman and Bankuraon the incidents of attacks on the Opposition’s candidates.

Kerala - Posco and other news

CBI should investigate land deals, says CPI
Kerala - PATHANAMTHITTA, May 23, 2013

The Communist Party of India has demanded a comprehensive probe into the alleged amassing of land in Pathanamthitta district by a Congress MLA in Goa and the alleged role of the Congress leaders in the land deal.

In a statement issued here on Wednesday, P. Prasad, CPI district secretary, stressed the need for a detailed inquiry by the Central Bureau of Investigation into the huge land purchases, including plantations, in Karnataka and Kerala made by two people’s representatives in the district belonging to the Congress.

Mr. Prasad said it was of utmost importance to conduct a just and fair investigation into the land purchases and the alleged ‘benami’ deals made by various Congress leaders, including people’s representatives.

It was of prime importance to expose the “source as well as the outflow of the hefty graft money for supporting all sorts of illegal and unlawful activities taking place in the name of the controversial Aranmula airport project,” the CPI leader said.

Mr. Prasad alleged that there was every reason to suspect the Goa connections of the Congress people’s representatives from the district who had been vehemently supporting the violations taking place in the name of the proposed private airport project.

He alleged that the Congress was a playing arm-twisting tactics by transferring officials of high integrity from the Revenue Department. Two officials, former District Collector V.N. Jithendran and Deputy Collector A. Abdul Samad, were shifted for acting against vested interests, he said.

May 13

CPI CONDEMNS ARREST OF ANTI-POSCO MOVEMENT LEADER ABHAY SAHU AND DEMANDS HIS IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Com. Abhay Sahu, Leader of Anti-Posco movement and member of the N.C. of the Party has been arrested today at Bhubaneswar Airport while he was on his way to Kozhikode (Kerala State) to attend the State Conference of All India Youth Federation (AIYF). He has been arrested under various sections of the Indian Penal Code and the Cr. P.C.

Communist Party of India strongly condemns the arrest of Com. Abhay Sahu and demands his immediate release and withdrawal of the false charges.

TOI 18 May 2013,14:24 IST

CPI national leader A B Bardan said his party was not line with the TRS although it supported a separate Telanganna state. Bardan was taking took part in a party meeting attended by senior leaders Suravaram Sudhakar Reddy and K Narayana.

TOI 16 Apr 2011,19:13 IST

Senior CPI leader, freedom-fighter and Marxist ideologue Prabhu Narayan Rai died after protracted illness at his native village at Gauripur in Bhagalpur district today. He was 98. Rai was MLA from Bihpur assembly constituency in North Bhagalpur between 1957 and 1962, in 1969 and also between 1972 and 1977.