Daijiworld Media Network - Kasargod (SP)

Kasargod, Oct 7: Former MP, Kannada activist and CPM leader M, Ramanna Rai (79), breathed his last at a private hospital in Kasargod, on Tuesday October 6, after being ill for about a month.

Rai, who had represented Kasargod constituency in the Lok Sabha by coming out victorious in the elections held in 1980, 1989 and 1991, had taken ill since about a month. He was being treated at a private hospital in Mangalore, from where he was discharged two days ago. After his condition worsened suddenly on Tuesday morning, he was admitted into a private hospital here.

During the reorganization of states on linguistic lines in 1956, Rai had strongly fought in favour of merging the then Kasargod taluk with Karnataka. He had declared the then Kasargod taluk as 'Kannada Nadu' and was identified as the first ever pro-Kannada 'Satyagrahi'. Rai did not have any enemies, both in his personal and political lives.

After placing the body of Rai at the CPI (M) office here for some time, it was taken to his home in Gadigudde. Leaders M V Keman Nambiar, Raghavan, MLC C H Kunhambu, Balakrishna Master etc., paid their last respects to the departed leader. The body will be kept for public viewing at Karadka CPM office at 10.30 am on Wednesday October 7 and at 11.00 am, it will be kept in the local Town Hall. As per the will of the deceased, the body will be handed over to Periyaram Medical College for research work.

Various dignitaries including former minister Cherkalam Abdulla, CPM district secretary K P Satishchandran, MP Karunakaran, MLA Mohammedali etc., have condoled the death of Rai.