TIRUCHY,CHENNAI: Pappa Umanath, one of the founder-members of All India Democratic Women’s Association (AIDWA) and a veteran Communist leader breathed her last here around 6 pm. She was past 80. She is survived by daughters Vasuki, central committee member and Nirmala Rani, district committee member.
She was a veteran of working class movements before and after Independence. Throughout her life, Pappa Umanath has been a warrior. She spent many of her youthful years in prison and has been in the forefront of the women’s movement for a couple of decades.
She founded the AIDWA in association with K P Janakiammal, Mallu Swarajyam, Kanak Mukherjee, Lakshmi Sahgal, Ahilya Rangnekar, Mangaleshwari Deb Barma, Manjari Gupta, Ela Bhattacharya, Susheela Gopalan and Vimal Ranadive in 1973.
She was born in Karaikal (Kovilpati) on August 5, 1931. She was active in the communist party during 1940s when the party was illegal. Pappa was actively engaged in the activities of South Indian Railway Employees Union in 1940s and when five workers were killed in a shoot-out by police, she was along with the workers at the venue.
When communist party was banned in 1948, she was lodged in Saidapet prison.
During that period, her mother died and the government said she could be freed to take part in her mother’s funeral provided if she quit communist party. But Pappa firmly refused to do so. Further, Pappa was arrested under preventive custody in 1962 when Indo-China war was on. The body would be kept at the district committee office on Saturday (December 18) for public homage and the funeral procession would take place around 4 pm, party sources said. The party would observe mourning for a week, sources added.