Kolkata: Eminent cartoonist Chandi Lahiri passed away due to cardiac arrest at a government hospital in Kolkata on Thursday afternoon.
He was 88 years old and is survived by his wife Tapati Lahiri and daughter Trina Lahiri, who is a well-known paper filigree artist.
Chandi Lahiri was not keeping well over the past few days and was taken to the hospital on January 16 after he complained of uneasiness.
After battling for two days, he passed away at 1.50 pm on Thursday.
West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee expressed her condolences in a tweet: “Saddened at the passing away of eminent artist and cartoonist Chandi Lahiri. May his work continue to engage and entertain. My heartfelt condolences to his family.”
He was born on March 13, 1931 in Nadia. During his college days Lahiri took to active politics.
In 1952, he started his career at the Dainik Loksevak newspaper as a reporter and in 1961 he decided to pursue his career as a cartoonist and joined the Anandabazaar Patrika (ABP) in 1962. He continued to work with ABP for 50 years.
The noted cartoonist’s work was featured in some of the popular children’s books like Michke, Nengti, Bideshider Chokhe Bangla, Chandir Chandipath and Bangalar Cartoon Itihash etc.
Speaking to News18, his wife Tapati said, “It is not my loss, but the entire state’s. He lived for others and left us earning loads of respect and repute.”
She narrates, “A few days ago, he called me and asked me to hand over Rs 2,000 to Orphanage Home at Ramkrishna Mission. I think he had this intuition that it was a matter of a few more days for him.”