Com Shameem Faizee as I knew Him

TRIBUTE

by B.K. Kango

Com Shameem Faizee was from Nagpur. During those days under the leadership of Com A.B. Bardhan and others Nagpur had a strong working class movement and party. Sensitive and intelligent, young Shameem was influenced by the movement and as a journalist and sub-editor of Hitavada (an English daily published from Nagpur) excelled in writing in English, Hindi and Urdu.

He came to Delhi initially to work in Ajoy Bhavan to help in publication of Hayat when Com C. Rajeshwar Rao was the party’s General Secretary. But slowly by 1976 he also took over Hayat as the editor along with New Age. He also looked after People’s Publishing House as its Chairman and helped and guided activities of the PWA and IPTA from the Party Centre. He became a member of the National Council in 1989, National Executive in 1995 and a member of the National Secretariat in 1998 till his last. As a central party leader he was given many responsibilities and he accepted those with humility and discharged them ably. He was in-charge of Jammu and Kashmir, Punjab and Gujarat State activities and helped these State parties during difficult periods. His role as a New Age editor was also an important one; he wrote editorials regularly and those were a source of guidance, analysis and information on various issues to all party comrades. He visited China as in-charge of a party delegation. He had also visited Soviet Union and other socialist countries.

He helped in drafting the Party Programme, reports and resolutions and made invaluable suggestions. His skill in drafting was excellent and the party will miss this along with his acumen to analyse the political situation.

He was particular in promoting and guiding young cadres. As in-charge of Maharashtra he played an important part in cultivating and developing the present leadership of the State.

He also possessed indepth information and analysis of various organisations working amongst minorities and helped comrades working amongst minorities to understand various trends prevailing at the time amongst the minorities. He particularly paid attention to and tried to make the Tanzeem-A-INSAF a strong organisation. Similarly his knowledge and expertise was a great help to the PWA and IPTA. His contribution to the party and its activities is immense and will be missed. His death is a great loss to the party in this crucial period when the Right reactionary onslaught is increasing but his writings will continue to inspire and guide us.

As a chairman of the PPH he played an important role in reviving its activities after a difficult period which the organisation went through.

The Communist Party’s National Secretariat has expressed deep condolences on his death and has opined that his death is a great loss to the party.

B.K. Kango is the Secretary, National Council, CPI.