He was undergoing treatment for diabetes at a private hospital in Kochi, where he breathed his last.
Kanam Rajendran (left) with Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan. (File pic/Facebook)
CPI Kerala state secretary Kanam Rajendran died at a private hospital in Kochi on Friday, 8 December.
The 73-year-old communist leader had been undergoing diabetes treatment. He had met with an accident recently, and his right foot had to be amputated following an infection.
In a recent interview with Malayala Manorama, he had expressed optimism to bounce back and get active in politics. He suffered a cardiac arrest, which led to his death. He was on three months’ leave from the party.
Born to VK Parameshwaran Nair and Chellamma at Koottickal in the Kottayam district on 10 November, 1950, Kanam — as he is better known — studied at Vazhoor SRVNSS School, Baselius College, and Moscow International Institute.
He became the state president and national vice-president of the All India Youth Federation (AIYF), the youth wing of the CPI, in 1970.
Kanam was inducted into the CPI state secretariat in 1978, at the age of 28. He was a member of the CPI’s State Council for 52 years. He represented Vazhoor in the state Legislative Assembly for two consecutive terms from 1982 to 1991.
His father was a manager at a plantation, which helped the young Kanam to study the life of estate workers from close quarters. It was Kanam who introduced the Construction Workers’ Bill in the Assembly.
Kanam became the CPI’s state secretary in 2015 and was elected to the post three times. He was a member of the CPI Central Secretariat.
The body will be flown to Thiruvananthapuram on Saturday morning and will be placed at the PS Memorial till 2 pm. The funeral procession will leave for Kottayam in the afternoon. He would be laid to rest between 10 and 11 am at Vazhoor on Sunday, 10 December.
Kanam is survived by wife Vanaja, and children Sandeep and Smitha.
Expressing shock over Kanam’s demise, Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan said he was a pillar of strength for the Left. He passed on when he was most required for the Left-secular alliance, he said.
The chief minister further said that Kerala has lost a selfless leader who stood for its interests.
CPI national general secretary D Raja said the party has lost one of its strongest leaders. He had played a pivotal role in the party’s growth. His demise is not just the loss of Kerala, but at the national level as well.
Former CPI state secretary Pannyan Raveendran recalled his 50 years of association with Kanam. He was expecting Kanam to return from the hospital and the demise was unexpected.
CPI(M) state secretary MV Govidan remembered Kanam as a leader who dedicated his life to the working class. During adverse situations, he succeeded in keeping both CPI(M) and CPI together and took the parties in the right direction.
LDF convener EP Jayarajan said Kanam always upheld communist values and strived for the unity of the Left parties.
Opposition leader VD Satheesan said Kanam was the face of the communist party in Kerala for a long time. He raised the issues of the workers in the Assembly and tried to find solutions. Like his predecessors, he, too, was uncompromising in his stands.
The Congress leader further said that he had visited Kanam a week ago at the hospital. Kanam was then optimistic about returning to public life soon.
BJP state president remembered Kanam as the gentle face of Kerala’s Left Front. He never hesitated to speak his mind. The BJP leader said he had a good relationship with Kanam even though they were in rival parties.
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