People's Democracy

One of the founders of the electricity workers movement in the country and a state committee member of the CPI(M) in Tamilnadu, Com.D Janakiraman passed away at the Ramachandra Medical College Hospital in the evening of April 13, 2002. The end came suddenly at about 6 p.m. due to cardiac arrest.

Com. Janikraman was 69 years old. He is survived by his wife Vijaya and four sons.

Com.D Janakiraman, who was affectionately called by everyone as "DJ" was a worker in the state electricity board and a forefront TU leader in the electricity workers movement since the early fifties. He was the founder general secretary of the Central Organisation of Tamilnadu Electricity Employees (COTEE), which was formed in 1971. He worked as general secretary and later as president of the Electricity Employees Federation of India (EEFI) at different times.

Com DJ was imprisoned under MISA for about a year during the black Emergency period in 1975. He became a state committee member of the party and continued till he breathed his last. He had served as a member of the party’s Central Control Commission for two terms. At the time of his death he was the working president of the EEFI. He was also the treasurer of state committee of CITU.

His mortal remains were kept in the North Chennai DC office for the workers and general public to pay homage to the departed leader. Then his body was cremated in the Besant Nagar electric crematorium. A condolence meeting was held there presided by the deputy general secretary of CITU A K Padmanabhan and addressed among others by CPI(M) central committee members N Varadarajan and W R Varadarajan.

The state Committee of the CPI (M) called for a three-day mourning during which period the party flag will fly half mast.

The Polit Bureau of the CPI(M) has condoled the death of Com. D Janakiraman, member of the Tamilnadu state Committee of the CPI(M) and a former member of the Central Control Commission of the CPI(M) from 1998 to 2002.

The PB sent its condolence to Com. Vijayi and other members of the family.