People's Democracy

COMRADE S Suryanarayana Rao, secretary, CPI(M) Karnataka state committee and president, CITU, Karnataka unit passed away on July 1, 2002. He complained of chest pain and was admitted to Narayana Hrudayalaya where he succumbed to a massive heart attack in the evening.

Comrade Suryanarayana Rao was born on August 24, 1924 at Arakalgudi, Hassan district. His father Swami Rao was a small industrialist.

Comrade Suryanarayana Rao was attracted to the student movement as part of freedom struggle in the early period of his life. He became a leader of the All India Students Federation and led the movement in Karnataka along with the late Comrade M S Krishnan. He plunged into the movement to liberate India from the British Colonialism. He was jailed by the British for 18 months for his participation in the Quit India movement.

Looking at his zeal, energy and commitment, Shri Talakere Subramanya, then president of Karnataka Congress invited him to join the Congress party in 1945. Refusing the offer, Com. Suryanarayana Rao chose to join the Communist Party of India in the year 1946 firmly believing in the ideology of the working class.

Com. Suryanarayana Rao along with others like H Y Sharada Prasad, former advisor to prime minister Indira Gandhi built and led the movement for responsible government against the princely state of Karnataka. His actions attracted wrath from the rulers and he had to go underground for three months in 1948.

He joined Hindustan Aeronautic Ltd as an accountant but left the job within two years to take a plunge into active politics. He became a leader of the students movement once again and struggled to secure opportunities of education to the poor and depressed sections of the society. He founded the Students Aid Society and established a hostel along with others for the poor students.

He was deeply committed to reorganise the Indian society so as to make it exploitation-free. This commitment made him fully involve with the activities of the Communist Party of India. He became the Bangalore district committee secretary of the Party in 1956 and represented Karnataka in the Communist Party’s Tenali Convention in1964 which decided on formation of CPI(M) due to the ideological differences within the then CPI.

Com. Suryanarayana Rao became the leader of the CPI(M) in Karnataka. He held various posts in the party and was elected as the secretary of the Karnataka state committee in 1998, which responsibility he fulfilled till his death. He was also the central committee member of the CPI(M).

Com. Suryanarayana Rao organised the working class in Karnataka. He was the president of CITU, Karnataka unit and vice-president of all India CITU. He led the historic struggle of the Ramkumar Mills and the Hotel workers in 1967. He became a household name for providing leadership to the 3 months long strike of MICC employees in 1979. He led another successful strike of ITC workers in 1980 which lasted for over 3 months. He successfully led the 75 days strike of Escort Workers in 1991 and in the recent period provided the leadership to the glorious strike of the L&T workers.

His concern for the poor and the workers and his leadership qualities demanded for his entering the electoral battles. The overwhelming majority of workers wanted him to represent them in the state assembly. He contested the assembly elections in 1983 and handsomely won from the Varthur assembly constituency. He endeared himself to all in the constituency through his tireless work as a MLA.

Com. Suryanarayana Rao opposed the imposition of emergency by Indira Gandhi in 1975. He organised the working class to fight the atrocities of emergency regime. For this, he was arrested and jailed.

In order to integrate the workers struggle, Suryanarayana Rao participated in various international conventions of trade unions held in China, France, Soviet Union and South Korea. With the experience gained he sought to educate the workers in Karnataka.

He was a staunch opponent of imperialist led globalisation. He mobilised the people of Karnataka and led them as the secretary of the CPI(M) and president of CITU against all anti-people policies.

Com. Suryanarayana Rao influenced thousands of cadres through his commitment and self-sacrifice. He was a towering colossus, one of the tallest leaders of the working class movement in Karnataka. His untimely death has left a big void difficult to fill.