In an inspiring finale to a remarkable life, 101-year-old CPI veteran R. Nallakannu’s mortal remains will be donated Thursday to Chennai Medical College Hospital for medical training, honoring his explicit last request.
The nonagenarian freedom fighter died Wednesday at 1:55 PM from multi-organ failure, after hospitalization since early February for geriatric complications.
State honors precede the donation, announced Chief Minister MK Stalin. ‘A life of unparalleled sacrifice and public service deserves nothing less,’ he declared.
Public viewing continues at Thyagaraya Nagar’s ‘Balam House’ CPI office till 3 PM, after which comrades will escort the body in procession to its destination.
Bipartisan grief united politicians: DMK stalwarts, AIADMK veterans, Congress, PMK, TVK, BJP, VCK, and NTK representatives all offered wreaths.
PM Modi’s message transcended politics: ‘Nallakannu earned respect across boundaries, devoting his life to others.’ Palaniswami praised his ‘rare honesty and moral fortitude.’
Tamil cinema’s elite—Rajinikanth, Kamal Haasan, Nassar, Satyaraj, Vijay Sethupathi, Sivakarthikeyan—recalled his embodiment of simplicity and ideological purity.
Nallakannu’s journey from independence struggle to communist leadership, marked by unwavering principles, culminates in this noble donation, perpetuating his service to humankind.