Former Lok Sabha MP and founder of Marxist Coordination Committee (MCC) A K Roy died on Sunday at a hospital here following multiple organ failure. Roy (90) was unmarried, party sources said.
The veteran Left leader and the chief patron of CITU Jharkhand state committee was admitted to Central Hospital here on July 8 owing to age-related problems, they said.
Condoling the death of the former Lok Sabha member, Jharkhand Chief Minister Raghubar Das on Sunday accorded him a state funeral. Das said that Roy's "demise has left a deep void" in Jharkhand.
The three-time MP from Dhanbad, along with Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM) chief Sibu Soren and former parliamentarian Binod Bihari Mahto, had spearheaded the movement for a separate state in 1971. Jharkhand was carved out of Bihar on November 15, 2000.
Roy had won the Dhanbad Lok Sabha seat in undivided Bihar thrice - in 1977, 1980 and 1989. He represented the Sindri seat in the Bihar Assembly as many times in 1967, 1969 and 1972.
Soren said Roy's death was a personal loss to him.
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"We lost an 'andolankari'. He had always fought for labour rights. His death is a personal loss for me," the JMM chief stated.
The Centre of Indian Trade Union (CITU), in its condolence message, said Roy had committed his entire life to the welfare of the labour force.
"He fought against the mafia in Dhanbad in support of the labourers He fought for social change. His death is a big loss to the labour agitation in the country," it said.
Born in Sapura village, now in Bangladesh, Roy completed MSc in chemistry from Calcutta University in 1959 and worked for two years at a private firm. Later, he joined Projects and Development India Limited, Sindri, in 1961.
The veteran leader was arrested and sent to jail in 1966 for participating in Bihar Bandh in protest against police firing on agitating students.
As he had opposed the policies of the then government, the Projects and Development India Limited management dismissed him from the job.
Roy then entered the trade union and started a movement against private colliery owners.
In 1967, he contested and won the Sindri Assembly seat of Bihar on a CPI(M) ticket.
Later, however, he resigned from the CPI(M) and launched his own outfit - Marxist Coordination Committee.
Roy's associates and followers referred to him as a 'political saint' who had zero balance in his bank account.
Over the last one decade, the former parliamentarian had been living a party worker's house, 17 km from Dhanbad.
"He was the first MP in the country who opposed increase in perks and pension proposals for MPs in 1989, but his proposal was defeated," Anand Mahto, a former MCC MLA, said.
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