Former MP Amar Roy Pradhan dies

Jalpaiguri: Former MP and senior Forward Bloc party leader Amar Roy Pradhan died at a Nursing Home here on Wednesday, party sources said.

Roy, 82, died of old age related problems at the Nursing Home, the sources said. He was born on August 15, 1930 and is survived by two sons. His wife Santilata Roy Pradhan had predeceased him. His younger son Arghya Roy Pradhan is the MLA from the Tufanganj Assembly seat. Roy was elected to the Lok Sabha for eight times from the CoochBehar Parliamentary seat. He was first elected to the Lok Sabha in 1977. He then won the seat eight consecutive times till 1999. Before becoming a MP, Roy was first elected to the West Bengal Legislative Assembly from the Mekhliganj Assembly constituency in 1962. He also won the Mekhliganj seat in 1967 and 1969 Assembly Elections. Roy had participated in the freedom struggle. He had also participated in the movement for merger of Cooch Behar State with the Indian Union and in various other workers and peasant movements. He led people`s demonstration before Parliament House, New Delhi, 1960 (on the issue of Berubari) and in 1970 demanding Master Plan for North Bengal. Roy also led Tinbigha movement demanding exchange of Indian enclaves with Bangladesh in 1974, 1981 and 1992. PTI