Swarnalata Josh (75), who was close to chief minister Mamata Banerjee, passed away after a long illness in her residence in Burdwan town on Sunday. Due to a brain stroke she was bedridden for the last few years.

With her death the Sainbari massacre incident has been revisited after almost 55 years.

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On 17 March 1970, during the naming ceremony of her son Amrit Josh, the goons of CPM allegedly stormed into the house and killed her several brothers.

The family was a supporter of the Congress at that time. The then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi had flown to Burdwan and visited the charred house of the Sain family.

With the death of Swarnalata Josh on Sunday and the death of her brother’s widow, Rekha Rani Sain last year, now her ailing and aged husband Amal Kanti Josh remained as the only living survivor and an eyewitness of the horrific incident in Burdwan about 55 years ago.

Since coming into power in May 2011, chief minister Mamata Banerjee had also provided armed security outside the home of Swarnalata Josh. Swarnalata Josh, her husband and son Amrit used to be present on every 21 July programme at Kolkata almost every year.

“We are indebted to Mamata Banerjee for providing us security. Armed constables have been posted outside our house by the East Burdwan Police since 2011. She had formed the first commission to probe the Sainbari massacre after taking charge as the chief minister. Our family has suffered a lot during the Left Front regime and whenever my mother visited Miss Banerjee with our problems she used to listen patiently,” said Amrit Josh.