People's Democracy

Comrade P Ramachandran

 

The Polit Bureau of the Communist Party of India (Marxist) issued the following statement on July 8, 2008

 

The Polit Bureau of the Communist Party of India (Marxist) expresses deep grief at the passing away of Comrade P Ramachandran, veteran leader of the Party and former member of the Polit Bureau. He died in a hospital in Chennai in the early hours of July 8, 2008.

 

P Ramachandran began his political activity as a young student when he joined the All India Students Federation in 1939. Participating in the struggle for independence, he joined the Communist Party in 1942.

 

He took a firm stand against revisionism at the time of the split in 1964.

 

Born on October 30, 1925 in Tellicherry in Kerala, he devoted his life to building the Communist Party in Tamilnadu. He was secretary of the Tiruchirapalli district committee from 1964 to 1977. He served as a member of the state committee of Tamilnadu from 1964 till 1989. He also worked in the trade union movement for one and half decades.

 

P Ramachandran was elected to the Central Committee in 1985 at the 12th Congress of the Party. He was elected to the Central Secretariat in 1988 and the Polit Bureau at the 14th Congress in 1992.

 

He worked at the Party Centre for nearly two decades and made an important contribution to organisation and Party education.

 

He spent four years in jail and three years underground.

 

PRC, as he was known, was a comrade who endeared himself to all. While adhering to Marxism-Leninism he always sought to imbibe new ideas and integrate it into his ideological outlook.

 

In his death the Party has lost a valuable leader. The Polit Bureau pays respectful homage to his memory. It conveys its heartfelt condolences to his wife Janaki, his sons, daughter and other family members.