P.K. Chandranandan, veteran of the historic Punnapra-Vayalar uprising and senior leader of the Communist Party of India (Marxist), is no more.
Mr. Chandranandan breathed his last at the Punnapra Cooperative Hospital at 4.10 p.m. on Wednesday. He was 88.
He had been serving as a member of the CPI(M) State Committee since 1964. He was the secretary of the party’s district unit for over 15 years in various phases, beginning 1970 and ending as late as 2009.
Born to Kunjachan and Parvathy of Pullickal Parambil house at Vadakkal in Alappuzha, Mr. Chandranandan became a trade unionist while working in a coir factory. He spent over 12 years underground after the Punnapra-Vayalar uprising of October 1946 during which he fought alongside veteran leader and current Leader of the Opposition V.S. Achuthanandan.
He was the Alappuzha district secretary of the undivided Communist Party. When the party split, he joined the CPI(M).
He was arrested during Emergency under the Maintenance of Internal Security Act (MISA) and remained in the Poojappura Central Prison for 20 months until Emergency was lifted. He was elected to the Assembly from the Ambalappuzha constituency in 1980.
He is survived by wife V.K. Bhadramma, daughters Usha and Bindu, and son V.C. Ashokan.
The body will be kept at the CPI(M) district committee office at 9.30 a.m. on Thursday for the public to pay homage. The cremation will be held at the Punnapra-Vayalar Martyrs’ Memorial at Valiya Chudukad here at 4 p.m.
Speaker G. Karthikeyan, Home Minister Ramesh Chennithala, KPCC president V.M. Sudheeran, CPI State secretary Pannian Ravindran, and DYFI State president T.V. Rajesh, MLA, expressed their condolences.
