With great sadness, we record the death of Com. Manoranjan Bose, one of the veteran leaders of our AIBEA movement on 8th February, 2023. He was aged 95. He was not keeping good health for the past few months due to old age ailments and the end came peacefully at his house in Kolkata.
Com. Manoranjan Bose belongs to the first generation of bank employees who thought, realised and dared to form trade unions for bank employees. He was in our AIBEA movement from 1946 till his end, thus serving the cause of bank employees for more than 75 years. He was the senior most living member of our glorious AIBEA family. With his demise, one of the very few links with the generation of founding fathers of our movement is snapped.
Around the age of 18, in 1946, he joined the British owned Lloyds Bank where Com Prabhat Kar was working. He was active in the Union right from the beginning. In 1948 Com Prabhat Kar was dismissed for leading the strike in support of Central Bank employees. To protest against this vindictive attack, employees of Lloyds Bank went on strike and Com. Manoranjan Bose was one of those dismissed by the Bank for this ‘crime’.
Com. Manoranjan Bose is no more – a saga ends He was one of the few living links with the generation of bank employees which founded AIBEA.
Thereafter he joined Eastern Bank and organised the employees in that Bank. He led several struggle in that Bank. Later, Eastern Bank was taken over by Chartered Bank. He became the All India General Secretary of our Federation in that Bank. In Bengal Provincial Bank Employees Association, he was a Vice President and played an important role in BBPEA in all their activities.
He took keep interest in the problems of co-operative bank employees and was the Advisor in All India Co-operative Bank Employees Federation. He was also the Vice President and later the Advisor in All Bengal Co-op. Bank Employees Federation.
It is remarkable that for more than 75 years, he served the cause of bank employees and AIBEA with utmost dedication and commitment. His poor health and old age never deterred him to be active in our movement. He used to attend all the programmes, meetings, rallies, Dharna, etc. and he was one of the most respected leader in West Bengal. He was regarded as the philosopher and guide in Bengal provincial Bank Employees Association.
With his demise, a great saga has ended. His contributions to our movement under AIBEA will be remembered for ever and the name of Com. Manoranjan Bose will inspire all of us forever.
We dip the banner of AIBEA in memory of Com Manoranjan Bose. We pay our homage and convey our deeply felt condolences to the members of the bereaved family.
COM. MANORANJAN BOSE AMAR RAHE
C.H. VENKATACHALAM GENERAL SECRETARY