People's Democracy

Homage To Comrade P Ramachandran

 

A K Padmanabhan

 

COMRADE P Ramachandran, PRC to all his colleagues all over the country, passed away in Chennai, after a brief illness. He was admitted to a private nursing home for a surgery in his painful knee and as he was recovering from the post operative problems, there was multi-organ failure leading to his death in the early hours of July 8, 2008.

 

All the members of the family were with him in the nursing home at the time of his death. Party leaders rushed to the hospital on getting the shocking message. His body was immediately taken to the district committee office and kept there, draped in a Red flag, for members to pay homage to their dear comrade PRC.

 

A continuous stream of people from various sections visited from morning to evening paying their homage, to the departed leader. S Ramachandran Pillai and K Varadarajan, Polit Bureau members, placed wreaths on behalf of the Party centre. Another Polit Bureau member and home minister of Kerala, Kodeiyeri Balakrishnan and Vaikam Viswan CCM and convenor of LDF in Kerala came from Thiruvananthapuram to pay their homage. V J K Nair, CCM and secretary, Karnataka state committee and Jakka Venkayya, state secretariat member from AP, also had rushed to Chennai and paid their homage.

 

The Tamilnadu state committee of CPI(M) in a statement noted the great work done by Comrade PRC, in building up a revolutionary movement in Tamilnadu. His work, began as a student activist in 1942 and continued till his last breath in various capacities including district secretary, state committee member to Poilt Bureau member. His contribution to Party education will always remembered, noted the state committee. The state committee conveyed its condolence to his family members, wife Janaki, sons Dr Gopinath, Vijayashankar and daughter Padmakumari.

 

Among those who paid their homage was Arcot N. Veerasami, senior leader of DMK and Tamilnadu Minister and senior leaders of Tamailnadu State Committee of CPI including D Pandian, R Nallakannu, A M Gopu, C Mahendran and G Palanisamy.

 

Among those who rushed to the North Chennai Office as soon as the news was received were R Umanath, N Sankariah, N Varadarajan, T K  Rangarajan, Pappa Umanath, A K Padmanabhan, W R Varadarajan, G Ramakrishnan, U Vasuki, all CCMs. Party state secretariat members, state committee members, district secretaries and state leaders of various mass organisations like CITU, AIKS, AIAWU, AIDWA, DYFI, SFI and various organisations of middle class employees from the nearby districts also came to have the last glimpse of their leader. Almost everyone present at the office had something to say about the great work done by Comrade PRC and the guidance received by their organisations from him.

 

A large number of journalists, including N Ram, editor in chief of the Hindu group of publications also came to share the grief.

 

FUNERAL

PROCESSION

 

In the evening the funeral procession began from the office. A large number of men and women participated in the silent procession, behind the decorated vehicle carrying the body of Comrade PRC.

 

The cremation took place at the Otteri cremation ground. It was at the same ground that many of the departed leaders of CPI(M), including Comrades P Ramamurti, V P Chintan, P R Parameswaran � all of them Comrade PRC's colleagues in building up the movement in Tamilnadu � were cremated.

 

A condolence meeting at the cremation ground was presided over by N Varadarajan, Party state secretary. Those who addressed the gathering were S Ramachandran Pillai, Polit Bureau member, Arcot N Veerasami, Tamilnadu minister, R Umanath, N Sankariah, V J K Nair, Jakka Vankayya and U Vasuki who paid glowing tributes to the departed leader. The speakers called upon the Party comrades to continue the revolutionary work carried out by Comrade PRC and pointed out that this alone will be a fitting tribute to Comrade PRC, who had contributed in a very big way to the communist movement in the country, especially in Tamilnadu.

 

Messages from various leaders including the one from the chief minister of Tamilnadu and from various state committees were read out. The meeting observed two minutes silence in memory of the departed leader.