Chennai: Senior Communist Party of India (CPI) leader and freedom fighter R. Nallakannu passed away today at 1:55 PM at the Rajiv Gandhi Government General Hospital in Chennai following a major health setback. He was 101 years old.
Nallakannu had been a member of the Communist Party of India for more than 80 years, dedicating his life to the communist movement and left politics in Tamil Nadu. He was admitted to the hospital on February 1 after experiencing shortness of breath and had been receiving treatment in the intensive care unit for the past 20 days.
Veteran Communist leader Nallakannu no more
During his hospitalisation, several political leaders and prominent figures visited him to inquire about his health. Chief Minister M.K. Stalin personally called on the veteran leader at the hospital to check on his condition.
The Tamil Nadu government had previously honoured Nallakannu with the Thakaisal Award in recognition of his contributions to public life and his decades of service to the communist movement.