Communist leader and former Union Minister Chaturanan Mishra passed away at a city hospital here on Saturday. He was 86 and ailing for some time.
Mr. Mishra joined the freedom struggle as a student in Madhubani, Bihar, and was arrested. He joined the Communist Party of India in the 1940s and after Independence, he moved up the party ladder as a trade union leader. He later became president of the All-India Trade Union Congress (AITUC). He served the Bihar Legislative Assembly for three terms between 1969 and 1980 and was Leader of the Opposition on two occasions.
Between 1984 and 1996, he served as a Member of the Rajya Sabha, and in 1996 was elected to the Lok Sabha from Madhubani. That year, with the CPI deciding to join the United Front government, Mr. Mishra became the Union Agriculture Minister. Among his contributions was the work on farmers' insurance and other measures to promote the welfare of peasants.
