The king among Communists

The body of former West Bengal Chief Minster Jyoti Basu being shifted to a morgue in Calcutta on January 17.

Not many leaders have taken such a step, even in hardcore communist countries. Even the body of Karl Marx, the founder of the Marxist movement, was buried. Vladimir Lenin's body has been kept at the Lenin Mausoleum for posterity by embalming it, but has not been donated for research. Joseph Stalin's body was kept next to Lenin's for while and was later buried near other minor leaders of Revolution near the Lenin Mausoleum.

China's Deng Xiaoping's organs were donated, remains cremated and ashes scattered over the seas. Another Communist leader from China, Chou en Lai's body too was cremated and ashes scattered by air over hills and valleys according to his wishes. Communist leaders in India like EMS Namboodriripad and Harkishan Surjeet Singh too were cremated.