Veteran CPI(M) Leader Comrade Lahanu Kom Passes Away at 86

Palghar, Maharashtra: Lahanu Shidwa Kom, senior leader of the Communist Party of India (Marxist) in Maharashtra, former Member of Parliament and former Member of the Legislative Assembly, passed away today, May 28, 2025, at 5:30 AM. He was 86. He had been in the ICU of a private hospital for the past 10 days.
He is survived by his wife Hemlata, son Subodh, daughter-in-law Sujata, grandson Tushar, daughter Sunanda, son-in-law Harishchandra Khulat, grandson Vijay, and granddaughter Ruchita.
A tireless Marxist worker and people’s representative, Lahanu Kom joined the CPI(M) in 1959 and went on to become a powerful voice for tribal rights and peasant struggles across Maharashtra. He was a former member of the party’s Maharashtra State Secretariat, and also served as the State Vice-President of the Akhil Bharatiya Kisan Sabha, the country’s largest peasant organization.
He was also the long-standing President of the Adivasi Pragati Mandal, a progressive organization he led since 1962. Under his leadership, the Mandal helped educate lakhs of tribal children, empowering Adivasi communities and nurturing future generations through grassroots activism.
His passing has left a deep void in Maharashtra’s leftist movement, particularly in the tribal belt of Thane and Palghar districts, where he led numerous struggles for land, education, and dignity.
Funeral Procession Scheduled for May 29

The funeral procession of Comrade Lahanu Kom will be held on Thursday, May 29, 2025, departing at 12 noon from the Comrade Godavari Shamrao Parulekar Bhavan, the CPI(M) district office in Talasari, Palghar district.
Thousands of CPI(M) workers from every taluka of Thane-Palghar district are expected to gather to pay their last respects. Leaders from the CPI(M), other constituent parties of the Maha Vikas Aghadi, and prominent social activists will also join the procession.