Press Release
The Polit Bureau of the Communist Party of India (Marxist) expresses its deep grief at the passing away of Comrade S. Suryanarayana Rao, member of the Central Committee of the Party and Secretary of the Karnataka State Committee of the CPI(M). Comrade Suryanarayana Rao died after a massive heart attack on July 1, 2002. He was 77 years old.
Comrade Suryanarayana Rao participated in the freedom struggle as a student and became a leader of the All India Students Federation in Karnataka. He was jailed for eighteen months for participating in the Quit India movement. Comrade Suryanarayana Rao became a member of the Communist Party in 1947 and began work among the working class and other sections of the people. He was the secretary of the Bangalore District Committee of the united CPI in 1956. He joined the CPI(M) when it was formed in 1964 and held various positions in the Party in Karnataka. He was elected secretary of the Karnataka state committee in 1998 and became a member of the Central Committee soon after.
Comrade Suryanarayana Rao emerged as an important leader of the working class movement in Karnataka. He was the President of the Karnataka State CITU and the Vice-President of the All India CITU. He led a number of important strike struggles of major industrial units in and around Bangalore in the last three decades.
As a popular leader of the workers, he was elected to the state assembly from Varthur constituency in 1983.
Comrade Suryanarayana Rao stood firmly with the Communist Party and was imprisoned a number of times including during the emergency. In his death, the Party and the working class movement in Karnataka has suffered a grievous loss. The Polit Bureau of the CPI(M) pays homage to the memory of this devoted communist and working class leader. It conveys its heartfelt condolences to his wife, two daughters and other family members.