KASARGOD: Former CPM Lok Sabha member M Ramanna Rai, 79, passed away at a private hospital here on Tuesday following respiratory problems.
Born in a Tulu-speaking landlord family at Gadigudde near Mulleriya on June 29, 1930, Rai, inspired by A K Gopalan, joined the Communist Party and was instrumental in bringing backward sections into the mainstream of society.
He had his schooling from Mauval ALP school, BEM High School and the Kasargod Board High School. He graduated from Mangalore Government College and then obtained a degree from Belgaum Law College and practised as a lawyer.
He was elected MP from Kasargod thrice: He defeated O Rajagopal of the then Janata Party in 1980, I Rama Rai of the Congress in 1989 and K C Venugopal of INC in 1991.
Rai was also chairman of the Kasargod municipality for more than a decade. He was the Consultative member of Ministry of Law and Justice in 1990.
Rai was once associated with the Kasaragod Vilayaneekarana Kriya Samithy -Merger Action Committee (now ‘Karnataka Samithi’) -- which fights for the bifurcation of Kasargod district and merging of the northern part of the district with Karnataka.
Later he detached himself from the movement. Rai, who was very popular among backward sections in the region, consistently campaigned for their cause. His generous nature and humane approach made him very popular among the masses.
Rai was the Kasargod Mandalam secretary of the undivided Communist Party during 1960-64. He was CPM state committee member, Karshaka Sanghom Kannur district secretary and member of the CPM district secretariat, director of state co-operative bank and Calicut University senate member. Rai is survived by wife Rajeevi and daughter Pushpalatha (wife of Adv Subayya Rai). His son Ram Manohar Rai predeceased him.
