PUDR mourns the loss of Dipankar Chakrabory, founder editor of Aneek and co-founder of APDR (Association of Democratic Rights). Chakraborty (71) passed away in his residence in Kolkata after suffering a cardiac arrest on 27th January 2013. Chakraborty was a widely respected intellectual associated with numerous people’s movements.

In the mid 60s when Chakraborty was a young political activist, he started a radical magazine called Punoscho from his hometown, Berhampur, which ultimately became Aneek, the Bengali monthly. Chakraborty did not join the CPI(ML) when it was formed in 1969; instead he contributed actively through Aneek. In a world full of little magazines, Aneek has always been regarded as an outspoken and radical journal which encourages writers and poets besides analysts and political commentators. The anthologies compiled from its issues of the 70s show the diversity of both literary and political writings. Over the years Aneek has been an uninterrupted source of radical energy, excepting when Chakraborty was jailed during the Emergency.

Dipankar Chakraborty’s loss will be keenly felt both within the civil liberties movement and also in the field of radical literature which he championed and built.

Asish Gupta, D.Manjit
Secretaries
pudr@pudr.org