The Hindu : Front Page : P.K. Vasudevan Nair dead

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Wednesday, Jul 13, 2005

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P.K. Vasudevan Nair dead

Special Correspondent

Body being brought to State capital today; funeral on Thursday

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The former Chief Minister and veteran Communist leader P. K. Vasudevan Nair died at the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), New Delhi, early Tuesday evening. He was 79.

Mr. Vasudevan Nair, who represents Thiruvananthapuram in the Lok Sabha, had been ailing for some time now. He was admitted to the AIIMS a fortnight ago following cardiac and renal complications and was undergoing dialysis. His condition deteriorated a week ago and had to be put on ventilator.

Although there was some improvement on Sunday, his condition worsened this morning. The end came around 3.45 p.m.

The body is being brought to Thiruvananthapuram from New Delhi around 3 p.m. on Wednesday. It would be kept at M.N. Smarakam, the State headquarters of the CPI, till 8 a.m. on Thursday and taken to the Durbar Hall of the State Secretariat and kept there for the public to pay homage till 11 a.m. The body would then be taken in a procession to Pulluvazhi, his native village in Ernakulam district, for cremation late Thursday evening. Chief Minister Oommen Chandy called on CPI leaders at the party headquarters immediately on learning about PKV's death and expressed his condolences.

As a Chief Minister

PKV became Chief Minister of Kerala on October 20, 1978, following A.K. Antony's resignation as Chief Minister to protest against his party's decision to support Indira Gandhi in the Chickmagalore Lok Sabha byelection. He gave up the coveted post on October 7, 1979, to facilitate the coming together of the CPI(M) and CPI and pave the way for the formation of the Left Democratic Front.

He was the founder-president of the Travancore Students Union, All Kerala Students Federation and All India Youth Federation (AIYF). He remained with the CPI after the split in the Communist movement in 1964 and was elected the party's State secretary in 1982.

He was elected to the Lok Sabha four times, in 1957, 1962, 1967 and 2004, and to the Assembly twice, in 1977 and 1980. He was CPI Parliamentary Party leader. PKV is survived by wife K. P. Lakshmi Kutty Amma, three sons and two daughters.

Public holiday

The Government has declared a public holiday on Thursday. The Assembly would suspend the debate on the no-confidence motion and disperse on Wednesday after expressing its condolences. The State Government has declared official mourning for a week. The MPs' conference scheduled on July 14 has been postponed.

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