Veteran Communist Leader and Freedom Fighter R. Nallakannu Passes Away

Chennai: Veteran Communist leader and freedom fighter R. Nallakannu (101) has passed away. He died while undergoing treatment at a hospital in Chennai. He had served as the Tamil Nadu State Secretary of the Communist Party of India for 13 years.

He had been receiving treatment since the 1st of this month at the Rajiv Gandhi Government General Hospital in Chennai. In addition to an infection, he was suffering from kidney-related ailments. Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M. K. Stalin visited the hospital yesterday to see him.

Nallakannu became a member of the Communist Party at the age of 15 and emerged as a leader of mass movements. He played a crucial role in organising farmers’ movements in Tamil Nadu. He was born in the temple town of Srivaikuntam in Thoothukudi district. From a young age, he nurtured patriotism and actively participated in India’s freedom struggle.

Throughout his life, he fought to ensure equal opportunities for the most socially marginalized communities. Spanning over eight decades, his public life was dedicated to the Communist movement and to struggles aimed at establishing democracy and social justice. Nallakannu was widely admired for his simple lifestyle and his uncompromising principles.

In 1999, he contested the parliamentary elections from the Coimbatore constituency.