Though he didn’t know Basu personally, it was a “monumental loss” for him. His grandfather used to work as a driver in the Basu household.

“My grandfather used to drive his car. Jyoti babu had once gifted my mother a gramophone on her birthday. The gift still lies at home wrapped in a cellophane paper, carefully preserved. It is one of the most treasured family possessions now,” said the sadhu. “After my father retired, we were not in touch with the family and hardly know his son Chandan Bose,” he added.

Like Somnath Baba, many people — from old to young, atheist to religious, common man to important political leaders — thronged the hospital to get a last glimpse of the legendary politician.

Sixty-five-year-old Birsha Chakrabarty had come all the way from Sonarpur with her daughter to see the leader. “To me he was a great leader. He cared for the common man like no other leaders did. I came here three days ago to pray for his recovery but now he is no more,” said the grandmother of three.

Octogenarian Gurusaran Dasgupta, who is a member of the governing body of the Indian Centre for Space Physics, rushed to the hospital on hearing the news. “I first met him when he was an MLA from Baranagar and I was the secretary of Pyarimohan library. In those days the Communist party was not that big and he used to come to encourage us all. Later, I used to go to Indira Bhavan to meet him and he would always ask, ‘What do the people feel about the party, how they accept the policies, what should they do to improve?’,” he said.

Shakti Pada Barman, a vegetable vendor who had come from Baguihati, was in tears when the security refused to let him get close to the vehicle that was carrying the leader’s body.