MY first meeting with comrade Pranab (DP Bakshi) was in the special conference of our party held in 1979. After a fierce battle with the state during emergency, the special conference was the culmination of the rectification movement conducted in the party.
During the conference a session was held to exchange inter state experiences, and Assam Tripura and Andhra were in one group, of which Comrade Bakshiji was the team leader, and which included Comrade Gobind Teli from Tripura, Comrade Rubul Sarma from Assam and I from AP. During that session I was very much inspired and impressed by the narration our party's experiences by Bakshiji.
After the 7th Party Congress Bakshiji took over the responsibility of incharge of Andhra Pradesh, and in between the 7th and 8th Congresses of the party he worked very hard to streamline the party, and break stagnation. He was comfortable interacting with grassroots comrades, and never took language as a big barrier.
The 2nd national conference of AIALA was successfully held in Rajahmundry in December 2006 under his close guidance and leadership.
Comrade Bakshi had a close bond with the historic Boddapadu village - a popular centre of the Srikakulam movement; every person, particularly young people in Boddapadu, knew him well and admired him. When the newly elected CCMs of AP visited him in hospital, he keenly asked about the developments in Andhra and Telangana. Right from the inception of his revolutionary journey from Durgapur till the end he lived for party and dedicated his entire life to the party. His revolutionary life will always inspire us.
