Krishna Bose, one of the most respected politicians of West Bengal and the wife of Sisir Kumar Bose, nephew of Subhas Chandra Bose, passed away on February 22, after a brief illness. She was 89. Bose, a three-time Lok Sabha MP from the Jadavpur seat, was also an eminent academic, writer and social worker. She is survived by her sons Sugata and Sumantra Bose and daughter Sarmila Bose.
She was born on December 26, 1930, in Dhaka to Charu C. Chaudhuri and Chhayadevi Chaudhurani. Her uncle (father’s brother) was the great Bengali writer and polymath Nirad C. Chaudhuri. In 1955, she married Sisir Kumar Bose, the son of Subhas Chandra Bose’s elder brother Sarat Chandra Bose. A well-known figure in the academic world, Krishna Bose was the principal of City College, Kolkata, for eight years. She had written a number of acclaimed books, including the autobiographical An Outsider in Politics , Emilie and Subhas , and Lost Addresses: A Memoir of India 1934-55 .
Krishna Bose’s political career was also quite remarkable. In the mid-1990s, when the ruling Communist Party of India (Marxist)-led Left Front was at its strongest, she not only managed to wrest the Jadavpur seat away from the CPI(M) but also retained it for three consecutive terms. In 1996, she won on the Congress ticket and in the next two terms on the Trinamool ticket. Her son, Sugata Bose, a well-known historian, won from the same seat in 2014. During her time in the Lok Sabha, she was the Chairperson of the Committee on External Affairs and served as a member in several other important committees. Known for her quiet, unassuming manners, at a time when politics is dominated by raucous mudslinging, Krishna Bose cut a dignified figure of restraint and polish.
Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, in her condolence message, wrote on social media, “I lost someone respected, loved & admired by me. Saddened & shocked to hear about the demise of Krishna Bose, ex-TMC MP & wife of freedom fighter Dr. Sisir Bose. Being a part of Netaji's family, she was a revered social reformer, renowned poet & a courageous educationalist.
“Krishna di was a mother to her sons Sumantra & Sugata, daughter Sarmila as well as the whole Trinamool family. Her immense contribution to Indian society & Bengali culture will be revered for times to come.”
With age, Bose’s health started deteriorating and in 2016 she suffered a stroke. However, she continued to remain active. Right until her end she was the chairperson of the Netaji Research Bureau in Kolkata
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