Communist veteran Roza Deshpande dies

Veteran communist leader andformer Lok Sabha member Roza Deshpande died at her residencehere on Saturday afternoon due to old age, sources said.

Deshpande, 91, was the daughter of Shripad AmritDange, one of the founders of the Communist Party of India.

She is survived by a son and a daughter.

Deshpande had taken part in the Sanyukta Maharashtramovement (the movement for the creation of the state ofMaharashtra) and the Goa liberation struggle as a member ofthe All India Students Federation.

In 1974, she was elected to the Lok Sabha from theBombay South Central constituency.

She had also led a campaign to get maternity leavebenefits for working women, and served on various central andstate government committees on labour problems, particularlythose of women workers.

Maharashtra Governor Bhagat Singh Koshyari expressedcondolences over her demise.

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