Indrajit Gupta was a leader who was known for his austerity, democratic outlooks and deep commitment to values. Born on March 16, 1919 in Kolkata, he had his education from St. Stephen’s College, Delhi. Then he studied at the Cambridge University. He was drawn to the communist movement during his student days in Britain.
After returning to India, he joined the Communist Party. In 1960, he was elected to the Lok Sabha in a by-election from West Bengal and continued to be a member till his death, with the exception of the period 1977-1980. In 1964, when the Party split on the China issue, Gupta was among the 35 members of the National Council who swore by the parent organization led by S.A. Dange. Always skeptical about the Congress, he formally opposed the idea of his party joining the United Front Cabinet in 1996 with Congress’ support, but caved in as the majority demanded it. He became the first Communist to occupy the powerful office of the Union Home Minister. He died of cancer in 2001.