The former Chief Minister of West Bengal, Siddhartha Shankar Ray, passed away at his residence here on Saturday. He was 90.
Mr. Ray was Governor of Punjab during the State's turbulent period in the 1990s. He was also a Union Minister and an Ambassador to the United States.
He was suffering from kidney ailments and had been on dialysis for quite some time.
A grandson of freedom fighter C.R. Das, Mr. Ray is survived by his wife Maya. A towering personality, Mr. Ray was a stalwart of the Congress party.
Mr. Ray was West Bengal's Chief Minister between 1972 and 1977 during the Naxal movement. He is credited with having quelled the movement, which, having started as a peasant uprising, took the route of annihilation, causing a rift within his party's ranks and leadership.
A well-known barrister, Mr. Ray had fought many well-known legal battles.
A close confidant of the former Prime Minister, Indira Gandhi, he was a Lok Sabha member, a Central Minister, and Punjab Governor during the Khalistan movement.
He was appointed India's Ambassador to the U.S. in 1992.
A keen sports enthusiast, Mr. Ray was a Calcutta University ‘Blue' in cricket, tennis and football — an achievement which is considered a record. He was educated at St. Xaviers School, Mitra Institution, Presidency College and Inner Temple London.
CPI(M) condoles death
Secretary of the West Bengal State Committee of the CPI(M) Biman Bose has condoled the death of Mr. Ray .
Mr. Bose said Mr. Ray was associated with the Congress for long and was first elected as a legislator in 1957.
He had been re-elected once as an Independent candidate supported by the Left.
Mr. Bose noted that Mr. Ray used to maintain personal relationships even going beyond his political calling and beliefs.
Mr. Bose expressed his condolences to Ms. Ray.
