CPM ex-MLA and Madurai's 'Mr Clean' N Nanmaran passes away

MADURAI: Senior CPM leader and two-time Madurai East MLA N Nanmaran passed away on Thursday at Government Rajaji Hospital, where he was admitted to following a cardiac arrest.
Known as "Mr Clean" for his non-corrupt political career, the 74-year-old was instrumental in bringing several projects including the IT Park and Tidel Park to Madurai.
He was first elected to Madurai East constituency in 2001.His qualities as a people's leader made the CPM renominate him in the 2006 election and he was promptly re-elected. Nanmaran's simple lifestyle came to fore in December last year when an auto driver posted on social media about his meeting with the veteran leader at Anna bus stand. Nanmaran told the driver that he had 20 with him and asked for a lift. While giving the former MLA a free ride, he said when SUVs are the common vehicles for MLAs, here was a man who did not have enough for a journey by an auto. In February this year, Nanmaran sought a house under Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana for his wife as they lived in a one-room rented house. The petition was turned down as he was a government pensioner which made him ineligible for a "free house".
Born in Madurai, Nanmaran was drawn to the communist movement at a very young age and was a powerful orator. He published a magazine called 'Kurinji Ithal' in 1968 when he became acquainted with the literary wing of CPM. His full-fledged political career started in 1971. He has written books on the lives of Karl Marx, Frederick Engels, Vladimir Lenin and Joseph Stalin in Tamil.
On Wednesday night, Nanmaran was rushed to GRH with complaints of breathlessness, following which he suffered a cardiac arrest and died around 4 pm. Nanmaran leaves behind his wife Shanmugavalli and sons Gunasekharan and Rajasekharan. His body would be kept at the CPM office in Ellis Nagar and the funeral would be held at 4pm on Friday. Finance minister P T R Palanivel Thiaga Rajan and Su Venkatesan, MP, were among those who paid tributes to him.
Condoling the death, CM M K Stalin said the present as well as future generations have lost a valuable people's representative. Nanmaran was the voice of the poor and downtrodden in the assembly, he said. MDMK leader Vaiko said Nanmaran was known as 'Medai Kalaivanar' for his oratorical skills. CPM state secretary K Balakrishnan said Nanmaran was instrumental in establishing Democratic Youth Federation of India in Tamil Nadu.