N. Sankaraiah
{{Short description|Indian politician and independence activist (1921–2023)}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=July 2021}}
{{Use Indian English|date=July 2021}}
{{Infobox officeholder
| name = N. Sankaraiah
| image = File:N.Sankaraiah CPIM.jpg
| birth_date = {{birth date|df=y|1921|07|15}}
| birth_place = Kovilpatti, Madras Presidency, British India
(now in Tamil Nadu,
India)
| death_date = {{Death date and age|df=y|2023|11|15|1921|07|15}}
| death_place = Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India
| party = 18px Communist Party of India (Marxist) (1964–2023)
| otherparty = 18px Communist Party of India (1947–1964)
| occupation = Politician
| office = Member of Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly
| constituency = Madurai West
| constituency1 = Madurai East
| term = 1967–1971
| term1 = 1977–1984
| office2 = Secretary of Communist Party of India (Marxist) — Tamil Nadu State Committee
| term2 = 1995–2002
| predecessor2 = A. Nallasivan
| successor2 = N. Varadarajan
| relations = R. Selvaraj (fraternal nephew)
}}
N. Sankaraiah (15 July 1921 – 15 November 2023) was an Indian Communist Party politician and independence activist.
Early years
After matriculation, Sankaraiah studied history from the American College, Madurai beginning in 1937. He was one of the founders of the Madras Students organization and was elected secretary of the Madurai Students Union. During this time he started participating in the freedom struggle of India. He was first arrested in 1941 in his final year of studies.{{cite news |last1=Narayan |first1=Pushpa |last2=Mayilvaganan |first2=V |title=Sankaraiah, CPM veteran and freedom fighter, dies in Chennai |url=https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/chennai/cpm-veteran-and-freedom-fighter-n-sankaraiah-passes-away-at-102-in-chennai/articleshow/105225738.cms |access-date=16 November 2023 |work=The Times of India |date=15 November 2023}}
Politics
His political career spanned over seven decades, and included nearly eight years in jail. Sankaraiah, who was one among the many communists who were released the day before India attained independence in August 1947, campaigned for communist candidates in the first general elections.{{Cite news|last=Kolappan|first=B.|date=2014-04-19|title=At 93, Sankaraiah still an 'untiring lion'|language=en-IN|work=The Hindu|url=https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/tamil-nadu/at-93-sankaraiah-still-an-untiring-lion/article5926404.ece|access-date=2020-07-15|issn=0971-751X}} He was one of the 32 National Council members who walked out of a Communist Party of India National Council meeting held on 11 April 1964, in protest, accusing party chairman S.A. Dange and his followers of "anti-unity and anti-Communist policies".{{Cite book|last=Bose|first=Shanti Shekar|title=A Brief Note on the Contents of Documents of the Communist Movement in India|publisher=National Book Agency|year=2005|location=Kolkata|pages=37}}
Later he became one of the founding members of the Communist Party of India (Marxist). He was the central committee member of Communist Party of India (Marxist). He was part of the leadership of All India Kisan Sabha. He was the CPI(M) Tamil Nadu state secretary from 1995 to 2002.{{Cite news|date=2021-07-15|title=Veteran communist Sankaraiah turns 100 today|work=The Hindu|url=https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/tamil-nadu/veteran-communist-sankaraiah-turns-100-today/article35333382.ece|access-date=2021-07-17}}{{Cite web|date=2020-07-15|title=A Day with Comrade Sankaraiah|url=https://www.newsclick.in/Day-Comrade-Sankaraiah-CPIM-AIKS|access-date=2020-07-15|website=NewsClick|language=en}}
Sankaraiah was elected to the Tamil Nadu legislative assembly twice from the Madurai West constituency in 1967 and from the Madurai East constituency in 1977 and 1980.{{Cite web |url=http://eci.nic.in/eci_main/StatisticalReports/SE_1980/StatisticalReportTamil%20Nadu%201980.pdf |title=Archived copy |access-date=21 November 2009 |archive-date=13 July 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180713132112/http://eci.nic.in/eci_main/StatisticalReports/SE_1980/StatisticalReportTamil%20Nadu%201980.pdf |url-status=dead }} He unsuccessfully contested the 1962 and 1957 elections from the Madurai East constituency.{{cite news|title=Sankaraiah envisages role for India in ending Sri Lankan crisis |url=http://www.hindu.com/2006/01/10/stories/2006011003190400.htm|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121105052459/http://www.hindu.com/2006/01/10/stories/2006011003190400.htm|url-status=dead|archive-date=5 November 2012|work=The Hindu |date=10 January 2006}}
Personal life and death
Sankaraiah was married to Navamani. His two sons, Chandrasekar and Narasimman, are party leaders. He turned 100 in July 2021.{{Cite news|date=2021-07-15|title=Veteran communist Sankaraiah turns 100 today|work=The Hindu|url=https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/tamil-nadu/veteran-communist-sankaraiah-turns-100-today/article35333382.ece|access-date=2021-07-17}}
Sankaraiah died at Apollo Hospitals in Chennai on 15 November 2023, at the age of 102.{{cite web | url=https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/chennai/cpm-veteran-and-freedom-fighter-n-sankaraiah-passes-away-at-102-in-chennai/articleshow/105225738.cms | title=Sankaraiah, CPM veteran and freedom fighter, dies in Chennai | publisher=The Times of India | work=Pushpa Narayan & V Mayilvaganan | date=15 November 2023 | accessdate=16 November 2023}}{{cite news|url = https://tamil.hindustantimes.com/tamilnadu/martyr-of-freedom-struggle-and-senior-leader-of-marxist-communist-party-n-sankaraiah-passed-away-131700023468706.html|title = RIP Sankaraiah: கம்யூனிஸ்ட் தலைவர் சங்கரய்யா காலமானார்! அவருக்கு வயது 102!|date = 15 November 2023|accessdate = 15 November 2023|work = hindustantimes}} He was being treated for fever and breathing problems.{{Cite web |title=സിപിഎമ്മിന്റെ സ്ഥാപകനേതാക്കളില് ഒരാളായ എന്.ശങ്കരയ്യ അന്തരിച്ചു |url=https://www.manoramaonline.com/news/latest-news/2023/11/15/senior-cpm-leader-n-sankaraiah-passed-away.html |access-date=2023-11-15 |website=www.manoramaonline.com |language=ml}}{{Cite web |title=Veteran CPM leader N Sankaraiah passes away |url=https://www.onmanorama.com/news/india/2023/11/15/veteran-cpm-leader-n-sankaraiah-passes-away.html |access-date=2023-11-15 |website=OnManorama}}
His elder brother's son R. Selvaraj is a screenwriter in Tamil Nadu's film industry.
References
{{Reflist}}
External links
{{commons category|N. Sankaraiah}}
- [http://eci.nic.in/eci_main/StatisticalReports/SE_1977/StatisticalReportTamil%20Nadu77.pdf 1977 Tamil Nadu Election Results, Election Commission of India]
- [http://eci.nic.in/eci_main/StatisticalReports/SE_1980/StatisticalReportTamil%20Nadu%201980.pdf 1980 Tamil Nadu Election Results, Election Commission of India]
- [https://www.dinamani.com/editorial-articles/2014/jul/15/%E0%AE%89%E0%AE%B3%E0%AF%8D%E0%AE%B3%E0%AE%A4%E0%AF%8D%E0%AE%A4%E0%AE%BF%E0%AE%B2%E0%AF%8D-%E0%AE%89%E0%AE%A3%E0%AF%8D%E0%AE%AE%E0%AF%88-%E0%AE%92%E0%AE%B3%E0%AE%BF-937680.html Dinamani Article about Sankaraiah]
{{DEFAULTSORT:Sankaraiah, N.}}
Category:20th-century Indian politicians
Category:Communist Party of India (Marxist) politicians from Tamil Nadu
Category:Indian independence activists