CM condoles demise of Kamtapuri leader

DARJEELING: Atul Roy, a prominent Kamtapuri leader, lost the battle to COVID-19 on Wednesday in Siliguri. Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee has expressed her condolences.

Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Wednesday tweeted: "Deeply saddened at the demise of Atul Roy who was serving as the Vice-Chairman of Kamtapur Bhasha Academy. I offer my heartfelt condolences to his family and loved ones. His dedicated & continuous fight for the people of North Bengal will always be etched in our hearts." 62-year-old Roy, a resident of Shiv Mandir, Siliguri had been suffering from fever since May 18. On May 22, he was admitted to a private hospital in Pradhan Nagar, Siliguri.

As his condition further deteriorated, he was shifted to another private hospital in Matigara. For the past one week, he was on a ventilator.He had uncontrolled blood sugar and hypertension. He was COVID-19 positive too. On Thursday, around 1:30 pm he breathed his last. He is survived by his wife, son and two daughters."It is a great loss to this region and the Kamtapuri community in particular. Atul Roy was a front rung leader and politician", stated Rajendra Nath Roy, vice-president, Kamtapur Progressive Party.

Atul Roy was a founding member of the Kamtapur Peoples' Party. The party was floated in 1997. He had spearheaded the agitation for the formation of the separate state of Kamtapur. In 2004 he broke away from Kamtapur Peoples' Party and floated the Kamtapur Progressive Party. In 2017, Mamata Banerjee had announced his name as the vice-chairman of the Kamtapur Bhasha Academy.