Senior CPM leader K Varadarajan dead

The State committee of the CPM expressed its profound grief and shock at the death of 73-year-old Varadarajan, who is one of the vice presidents of the All India Kisan Sabha (AIKS) and a member of the Marxist party’s Central Committee. He had gone to visit his son in Karur where he was caught in the lockdown.

Varadarajan, a civil engineer by profession, hailed from Srirangam, left his job at the Public Works Department to become a full-time member of the CPM in 1970. He rose in the party ranks from becoming a member of the party’s State committee in 1978 to the politburo in 2005. Working in the party’s farmer wing AIKS, he went on to become its all-India general secretary in 1998.

“Comrade Varadarajan carved himself into a dedicated and determined Communist. He has spearheaded many struggles of the party and the farmer’s wing. He focused on teaching Marxism in the simplest way to his peers,” said CPM State secretary K Balakrishnan in his condolence message.

He noted that the senior leader was a great organiser and nurtured several leaders across the State. “He was a very affable comrade, simple in nature and had frugal requirements. His death is a great loss to the party and farmers wing,” he said, expressing his heartfelt condolence to his family members.

As a mark of respect for the senior leader, Balakrishnan said all the party works would remain suspended for three days and the party’s flag across the State would fly at half-mast. Varadarajan’s last rites would be held at his residence at Srirangam on Sunday at 11 am.