Amid slogans “Veera Vanakkam, Veera Vanakkam; Thozhar Pappavukku Veera Vanakkam,” the mortal remains of veteran Communist Party of India (Marxist) leader Pappa Umanath was laid to rest here on Saturday.
Draped in the party flag, the body of the 80-year-old leader, who passed away in the city on Friday, was buried close to the memorial raised inside the sprawling Ponmalai railway colony in memory of the five railway workers who were killed in a police firing during the strike in 1946.
The body, which was kept at the party's district unit office ‘Venmani' here to enable the general public and party functionaries pay their respects, was brought to Ponmalai in the evening for the funeral. Pappa's husband and veteran CPI (M) leader R. Umanath, daughters U. Vasuki, the State secretariat member of the party, and Nirmala Rani; CPI (M) Polit Bureau member and Rajya Sabha member Brinda Karat, party central committee member and MP T.K. Rangarajan, party's State secretary G. Ramakrishnan, former State secretary N. Varadharajan, senior CPI leader A.M. Gopu, MDMK urban district secretary A. Malarmannan; large number of CPI (M) cadre, trade union activists and members of Democratic Youth Federation of India and Tamil Nadu Vivasayigal Sangam took part.
Earlier in the day, State Transport Minister K.N. Nehru, Tiruchi MP P. Kumar, AIADMK MLA M. Paranjothi and cadre of CPI(M), CPI, AIADMK, MDMK, PMK and DMDK paid their respects.
Karunanidhi condoles
Special Correspondent writes from Chennai:
The Chief Minister, M. Karunanidhi, on Saturday described Pappa as one who worked for the uplift and rights of the poor and the working class.
In a message, he said Pappa Umanath was a freedom fighter. Besides being one of the founder leaders of the Democractic Women's Association, she played a key role in strengthening the organisation in the State.
