The funeral of Anathalavattom Anandan, a respected trade union leader and three-time MLA, is scheduled for 5 pm today at Thycaud Crematorium in Thiruvananthapuram. Anandan, who was 86 years old, served as the state president of CPM’s trade union, CITU.
Anandan’s journey in the communist party began in 1956 when he joined at the age of 19. Even when the party split into CPM and CPI in 1964, he remained loyal to the former. He represented the Attingal constituency in the state assembly on three occasions. His political career saw him rise to the state committee member of the CPM in 1985, eventually reaching the state secretariat in 2008.
Born on April 22, 1937, in Chilakkoor village in Varkala, Thiruvananthapuram, Anandan initiated his political involvement in 1954 by participating in a coir workers’ protest advocating for a ‘one ana’ wage increase.
Throughout his life, Anandan tirelessly fought for the rights of the working-class and faced imprisonment on multiple occasions for his activism. He held the position of Coirfed president for 12 years and later became the vice-chairman of Coir Board.
His first Assembly contest was in 1987, which he won. Despite a setback in 1991, he made a triumphant return in 1996 after Attingal voted in his favor. Anandan’s last term in the Assembly was during the 2006 elections when he secured a victory with an impressive margin of 11,208 votes against C Mohanachandran.
Between 2006 and 2011, he served as the Chief Whip of the party. Anandan is survived by his wife Laila and children Jeeva Anandan and Mahesh Anandan. His legacy as a champion for workers’ rights and a dedicated political leader will be remembered by many.
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