Terming Ashok Mitra as one of the most outstanding figures in post-independence India, Left economist Prabhat Patnaik on Tuesday said his contribution to the cause of communism was likely to remain underestimated. "I feel Ashokda is one of the most outstanding figures in post-independence India because of the remarkable qualities that he had.. Of course, he was brilliant,... he had a sense of humour, which could be directed against himself.

"He was ideologically very firm, never budged an inch in his ideological commitments. But at the same time he was very charming, very gracious, very courteous to others," Patnaik said at the condolence meeting for Mitra organised by the Left Front. Recalling his association with Mitra for close to 50 years, he said he was an ideal communist intellectual "because he had a remarkable combination of qualities of head and heart". According to Patnaik, Mitra's contribution to the Left movement was in terms of ideas. "Ashokda's contribution to the cause of the Left, to the cause of communist is likely to remain underestimated. Ashokda's contribution to the left was in terms of ideas.