CHENNAI: CPI state secretary R Mutharasan and TNCC president K Selvaperunthagai on Saturday paid rich tributes to veteran Communist leader Suravaram Sudhakar Reddy, who passed away in Hyderabad on Friday night. He said the demise of the former general secretary of the party was an irreparable loss to the communist movement and to the secular democratic struggle in the country.
The CPI announced that party flags in Tamil Nadu would be flown at half-mast for three days as a mark of respect.
Reddy, 83, was born in Mahbubnagar district of present-day Telangana in 1942 into a family of freedom fighters. He entered politics through the All India Students’ Federation (AISF), where he rose to become general secretary at its 1965-66 national conference in Puducherry. He went on to serve in key positions including general secretary of the CPI’s Andhra Pradesh unit, deputy general secretary, and later national general secretary. He was twice elected to the Lok Sabha from Nalgonda and chaired the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Labour, where he championed the cause of unorganised workers.
In his condolence message, Tamil Nadu Congress Committee president K Selvaperunthagai said Reddy was a lifelong defender of the working class, who had strengthened the communist movement from his youth through leadership roles in the AISF, All India Youth Federation and All India Trade Union Congress. He recalled his significant contributions not only to the CPI but also to the global communist movement, as well as his role as an MP and Telangana legislator. “His passing is a great loss to the communist movement. I convey my deepest condolences to his family members and comrades,” he said.
Reddy is survived by his wife, Dr PV Vijayalakshmi, a trade union leader, and two sons.