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Happy 100th birthday Sankaraiah...Why the veteran Communist leader is celebrated by all?

By alagu, 15 July, 2021
Sankaraiah, Communist, Tamilnadu

Centenarians are visibly blessed to count their birthdays after 100 years. But in the case of veteran Communist leader N Sankaraiah, we are blessed to have such a great and intimate leader around us, as an ambassador of public life. Sankaraiah had seen and has been seeing generations and he is the only freedom fighter around us to realize how his sacrifices are respected by independent India. Being a freedom fighter, he is a living icon experiencing the transformation of India in all spheres. 

Sankaraiah unequivocally is one of the doyens of Indian politics, thanks for his sacrifices and for being oxygen for independent India. It is through the contributions from the leaders like Sankaraiah that the political movement is so potent in the country. The veteran communist leader has celebrated his 100th birthday on Thursday and he has entered the centenarians' club by leaving a great milestone behind with more pains, ordeals, and menaces. 

Born on July 15, 1922, in Madurai, Sankaraiah had entered public life at a very young age. He had studied History from American College in 1937 and he was one of the founders of the Madras Students organization and was elected Secretary of Madurai Students Union. What started as a fight to flee India from British rule had then continued to flee the communities from the social disparities. During his time in the Students' Union, he had participated in the freedom struggle and he was first arrested in 1941 when he was a final year student of the American College, Madurai. 

He has a seven-decade long political career during which he was jailed nearly for eight years. Sankaraiah was one among the communists who were released just a day before India has got independence in August 1947. He then had campaigned for communist elections in the first general elections. After the split of the Communist party, Sankaraiah has become one of the founding members of the Communist Party of India (Marxist). He was the central committee member of the CPI (M) and he was also part of the leadership of All India Kishan Sabha. 

He had served as the CPI(M) Tamil Nadu state secretary from 1996 to 2001.  Besides being a notable politician of the Communist party, Sankaraiah had served as a legislator. He was elected to the Tamil Nadu legislative assembly twice from the Madurai West constituency in 1967 and from Madurai East in 1977 and 1980. He had contested in the 1957 and 1962 elections but he had lost both the polls. Sankaraiah has a vast political career and he is celebrated by all, regardless of the political line, for inspiring the young generation, for his honesty and discipline in politics. 

He is loved by all across and beyond the state and when he celebrated his 100th birthday on Thursday, it was evident how he is respected by the national leaders. Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin has met Sankaraiah at his residence in Chennai and extended his birthday wishes to the veteran leader. Stalin was accompanied by Higher Education Minister K Ponmudi and senior DMK leaders including TR Baalu, A Raja, and Dayanidhi Maran. 

MK Stalin has hailed Sankaraiah and said the communist leader has been leading a life of sacrifice for the nation and wished him many more years of good health and to keep guiding the leaders like him in public life. Kerala Chief Minister and CPI(M) leader Pinarayi Vijayan had called Sankaraiah a comrade. The Kerala Chief Minister took to Twitter and wrote, "Veteran communist and freedom fighter Com. N. Sankaraiah turns 100 today. His selfless service to the people and pioneering work in building @cpimspeak is an inspiration to all of us. Happy birthday dear Comrade!".

CPI(M) National leaders Sitaram Yechury and Prakash Karat were also present in Sankaraiah's residence on his 100th birthday celebration. Yechury had greeted the veteran leader and said Sankaraiah has been continuing to inspire generations. Taking to Twitter, Yechury wrote, "Greeting Com. N Sankariah on his birthday as he enters 100th year. Continues to inspire generations of people with his calls for liberation in his booming voice even today as he has been doing for over 8 decades."

CPI(M) Tamil Nadu state general secretary K Balakrishnan has said that celebrations would be held throughout the year (2021-22) to mark Sankaraiah's centenary year. The leftist party would reach out to the young people throughout the celebrations and would take his life, patriotism, and sacrifices to the nation to them. MDMK Chief Vaiko, Viduthalai Chiruthaigal Katchi (VCK) leader Vanni Arasu, Tamil Nadu Congress Committee Chief KS Alagiri, and Indian Union Muslim League (IUML) leader Abubacker had met Sankaraiah and conveyed their wishes. 

Greeting Sankaraiah on his 100th birthday, PMK Founder Ramadoss said that the present generation should learn about the life history of Sankaraiah, his honesty, and his discipline in politics. Ramadoss further said that the veteran Communist leader had participated in the anti-Hindi protests in 1938 and the Quit India movement. The PMK leader has noted that seeing such a clean leader like Sankaraiah in public life is very rare. CPI(M) Politburo member G Ramakrishnan has recalled Sankaraiah's service to the nation and said that the veteran leader had struggled for independence, people's welfare, and social change. 

 

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