People's Democracy

VARADARAJAN, 73, was born and brought up in Dindigul. He was employed as a worker in Soundararaja Mill there and was dismissed from service for organising the workers in a trade union. He joined the Communist Party in 1943 and has worked in various capacities for the last six decades. He was the Dindigul town committee secretary of the party for 20 years and worked as the district secretary for 5 years from 1978. He was a state council member in the undivided party and has been in the state secretariat of the CPI(M) since 1978. He was elected to the CPI(M) Central Committee at the 15th congress of the party held in Chandigarh. He had also been a state level office bearer and all-India leader of the All India Kisan Sabha. In 1954 he was elected to the Madurai district board, and to the Tamil Nadu legislative assembly three times --- from Vedasanthur in 1967 and from Dindigul in 1977 and 1980. He was imprisoned for more than 3 years on various occasions and guided the party from underground for more than two and a half years.

When, owing to ill health, N Sankariah expressed his inability to continue as the state secretary of the party, the choice naturally fell on N Varadarajan. Sankariah proposed his name and T K Rangarajan seconded it. The election was unanimous. (AAN)