Centre of Indian Trade Union (CITU) pays respectful homage to the legendary plantation leader Comrade Panu Majumdar who will be remembered long for his contribution towards the working class movement and the people of Tripura. Comrade Panu Majumdar passed away 14th August 2023 midnight at GBP Hospital of Tripura leaving behind his innumerable followers throughout the State. He was 86 at the time of demise.
Comrade Sudhamoy Majumder popularly known as Comrade Panu Majumdar worked among and organised the tea garden workers since 1970. He was a key organiser of Tripura State CITU right from its formation period. He devoted his life to the cause of emancipation of the working class. He was unmarried and spent his entire life with the tea workers.
While organising tea workers in struggle for rights and better livelihoods, he faced numerous challenges. Especially the threat of lock-out and closure always used to haunt the workers. In such an event, the criminal proprietor of the Durgabari Tea Garden turned the garden sick and left it with hundreds of workers to die in a critical condition. Comrade Panu Majumdar brought all the workers of that garden together, gave them guidance and hope and developed it as a cooperative tea garden. With his indomitable spirit, knowledge, hard work, comradely feelings and strong leadership with participatory model, Durgabari was converted as an International Model Cooperative Tea Garden and a sustainably high yielding and profitable one. The cooperative is still now running with excellence and the workers are getting significantly more returns out of it.
Comrade Panu Majumder was a member of All India Plantation Workers Federation. For a long time, he was a member of CITU All India General Council and the Vice President of Tripura CITU State Committee.
Comrade Panu Majumdar had an extraordinary quality to explain intricate things in a simple way. His endeavor and sacrifice gave an alternative to Durgabari and it will remain as a beacon in the history of workers’ participatory cooperative movement in India.
Long Live Comrade Panu Majumdar. Long Live Durgabari.
Issued by
Tapan Sen
General Secretary
