'%20x='0'%20y='0'%20height='100%25'%20width='100%25'%20%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20xlink%3Ahref='data:image/jpg;base64,/9j/2wBDAAYEBQYFBAYGBQYHBwYIChAKCgkJChQODwwQFxQYGBcUFhYaHSUfGhsjHBYWICwgIyYnKSopGR8tMC0oMCUoKSj/2wBDAQcHBwoIChMKChMoGhYaKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCj/wgARCAAFAAoDASIAAhEBAxEB/8QAFQABAQAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAQb/2gAIAQEAAAAAtX//xAAUAQEAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAF/9oACAECEAAAABP/xAAUAQEAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAD/9oACAEDEAAAAC//xAAcEAACAQUBAAAAAAAAAAAAAAABAhEAAwQSMTL/2gAIAQEAAT8AupbaNU1MQCGM064rOzHG6Z91/8QAFxEAAwEAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAMUUv/aAAgBAgEBPwCt2j//xAAWEQEBAQAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAABAAL/2gAIAQMBAT8AdN//2Q=='%3E%3C/image%3E%3C/svg%3E)
A minute's of silence for Mr. Priya Ranjan Dasmunshi
It was perhaps inevitable, but even then the gesture was a beautiful one. Union Minister, West Bengal Congress’ former president, and senior Congress leader, he may be but his heart forever did and forever would beat for football.
Critically ill over the last couple of months, he entered into the coma on October 12, 2008 after suffering a stroke. And on November 20, 2017, at the age of 72, he ultimately succumbed to his ailment.
He was the one to bring in a professional approach to Indian football in the capacity of the president of All India Football Federation. It was he who was instrumental in instituting the National Football League in 1996 that eventually gave the Indian clubs a semi-professional taste of the system. It was one of his biggest contributions. Incidentally, he also served as a match commissioner in the 2006 FIFA World Cup in Germany.
It was indeed nice to see a beautiful man given a beautiful, though quaint, remembrance on the football field prior to the ‘commencement’ of the I-league season in Calcutta.
