Kozhikode: CPM state secretariat member V.V. Dakshinamoorthy, 82, who was also the former chief editor of CPM mouthpiece Deshabhimani daily, breathed his last at the District Co-operative Hospital here on Wednesday. He was under treatment for cancer for some time.
Born in 1934 at Paleri near Perambra, Dakshinamoorthy became a party member in 1950 at the age of 16. Fondly called as ‘Moorthy Mash’ by comrades, he was a school teacher for 26 years and opted for voluntary retirement in 1982. He became a state committee member of CPM in the same year. He was one of the CPM leaders who served a jail term during Emergency.
Dakshinamoorthy was elected as a member of the legislative assembly from Perambra constituency in 1965, 1967 and 1980. He was also the CPM chief whip for two years. Dakshinamoorthy had served as CPM Kozhikode district secretary and also as the Kozhikode unit manager of Deshabhimani for 19 years. He was instrumental in organising the temple workers under the Malabar Devaswam Employees Union (CITU) and also was a member of the Calicut University syndicate member.
The body of Dakshinamoorthy was laid at the CPM District Committee office, here on Wednesday afternoon where leaders of various political parties and CPM workers paid their last respects. Apart from CPM leaders including Elamaram Karim, P Mohanan, Speaker P. Sreeramakrishnan, A. Pradeepkumar MLA, BJP leaders Kummanam Rajasekharan and P.S. Sreedharan Pillai, and JDU leader M.P. Veerendrakumar, MP, among others paid last respects to the leader.
The body would be taken to his home at Paleri on Thursday afternoon and the funeral will take place around 2 pm. He is survived by wife T.M. Nalini, daughter Mini and sons Ajayakumar and Prasad.
