Jyoti Basu's life in pics
Communists never retire, Jyoti Basu said, and till the end, showed that he meant that in letter and spirit.
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Jyotirindra Basu was born in Kolkata on July 8, 1914. The third child of Dr Nisikanta Basu and Smt. Hemlata Basu, he was affectionately called Gana.
He grew up in a joint family. It was when he went to Loretto School in 1920 that his father shortened his name to Jyoti Basu. -
He was at Loreto for four years. In 1925, he was granted admission at St. Xaviers School. He finished his Matriculation there and joined Presidency College(then the Hindu College). He studied English.
Basu was a back-bencher along with his friend Rahaman. He graduated in 1935 and opted for the law rather than follow his father's profession.
He left for England to study law, became a Barrister, and returned to India in 1940, already intoxicated by Marxism and politics.(Photo: jyotibasu.net) -
By 1996, when he became chief minister for the fifth time, Basu had acquired national stature. During this year, when the United Front was all set to form the Union government, Basu was asked to be prime minister. However, the CPI(M) Politburo decided not to participate in the government. (Photo: AFP)