R. Nallakannu (born 26 December 1925) is an Indian politician. He is a senior leader of the Communist Party of India (CPI). He was the former State Secretary of the Communist Party of India of Tamil Nadu.[1]
R. Nallakannu | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Secretary, CPI Tamil Nadu State Committee | |
| In office 1992 – 15 April 2005 | |
| Succeeded by | Tha. Pandian |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 26 December 1925 Tiruvaikuntam, Tinnevely district, British India (now Thoothukudi district, Tamil Nadu, India) |
| Political party |  Communist Party of India |
| Spouse | Ranjitham Ammal |
| Occupation | Politician |
Early life
editNallakannu was born in the temple town of Tiruvaikuntam, Thoothukudi district. Born in an affluent family, he was patriotic from a young age and participated in the Indian freedom struggle.
Career
editAt age 15, Nallakannu joined the communist movement. He belonged to the action force and was sentenced to over 14 years in jail. He was released after 7 years, as a pact was signed by the communist leaders and the chief minister of Tamil Nadu. Highly respected even by opposition parties, he uses restraint when he voices concerns about issues and events. Nallakannu is respected as one of the last surviving leaders who founded the Communist movement in India.[citation needed]
He is also valued as a learned speaker and a great social reformer, and all his life he fought for equal opportunities for the most socially suffered communities. He stayed with them, had food with them and taught them how to fight for their own rights from the upper classes. He also made considerable progress in lifting the living conditions of poor people in Nanguneri Taluk and neighboring villages, mostly during the period when he was spending his time underground. He is known as an individual ready to make any sacrifice to uphold the principles of a casteless society.[citation needed]
In 2018 he individually fought a court case in Madurai, and won at the High court which ordered a ban on digging sands from the Thamirabarani River of his native place. On 2 December 2010, the court banned the taking of sand from this river for 5 years.[2] He undertook many hunger strikes, some lasting more than 20 days. Once, the government built a dam because of his hunger strike. He was honored by the Vice President of the People's Republic of China during his visit to Beijing.[3]
In 1999, Nallakannu stood for coimbatore constituency on parliamentary election. Even though he secured 43.21 percent of total votes, he was defeated by CP Radhakrishnan.[4]
Electoral Performance
editLok Sabha Elections Contested
edit| Election | Constituency | Party | Result | Vote % | Opposition Candidate | Opposition Party | Opposition vote % |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1999 Indian general election | Coimbatore | CPI | Lost | 43.02 | C. P. Radhakrishnan | BJP | 49.21 |
Writer
editAs a writer, Nallakannu wrote many books based on social problems, river interaction possibilities in India, agricultural reforms and about communist-based articles..[citation needed]
Recognition
edit- Sahayogi Puraskar award from Governor Surjit Singh Barnala of Tamil Nadu (14 August 2007).[5]
- Ambedkar Award for his contribution to public life (2007) Tamil Nadu[6]
- Gandhian award for social service from All India Mahatma Gandhi Social Welfare Forum (3 October 2008)[7]
- " Thagaisal Tamizhar" award 2022
- Jeeva Award from District Writers Association (21 January 2009) [8]
Personal life
editNallakannu married Ranjitham Ammal, a retired school headmistress from Srivaikuntam in Tuticorin district, with whom he had two daughters. Ranjitham died in Chennai in 2016 at age 82.[9]
In 2019, Nallakannu and his family were asked to vacate the house they were living in, which was allotted to them as a tribute to his contributions in the political field. Multiple political leaders expressed their indignation with this decision. DMK President MK Stalin stated that, as a political leader who has been held in high regard, Nallakannu should be allotted another house.
References
edit- ^ "Fronts and challenges". Hindu.com. Retrieved 23 July 2012.
- ^ Thaamiraparani vazhakkil R.N.K;NCBH publication;January 2013;page 25
- ^ "Quaide Milleth Trust". www.quaidemillethtrust.com. Retrieved 22 July 2019.
- ^ "STATISTICAL REPORT ON GENERAL ELECTIONS, 1999 TO THE THIRTEENTH LOK SABHA" (PDF). Retrieved 23 July 2012.
- ^ "Tamil Nadu News : Gandhi represented vitality of Indian culture, history, says Barnala". The Hindu. 15 August 2007. Archived from the original on 21 October 2007. Retrieved 23 July 2012.
- ^ "Tamil Nadu / Chennai News : Ambedkar Award for Nallakannu". The Hindu. 10 January 2008. Archived from the original on 13 January 2008. Retrieved 23 July 2012.
- ^ "Tamil Nadu News : "Spread Gandhian ideals"". The Hindu. 4 October 2008. Archived from the original on 8 October 2008. Retrieved 23 July 2012.
- ^ "Tamil Nadu / Tiruchi News : Jeeva Award conferred on R. Nallakannu". The Hindu. 22 January 2009. Archived from the original on 25 January 2009. Retrieved 23 July 2012.
- ^ Sivakumar, B. (1 December 2016). "CPI leader Nallakannu's wife Ranjitham dead". The Times of India. Retrieved 22 July 2019.