Obituary
On May 16 2007, Comrade K Kaliyaperumal passed away at the age of 84. Comrade Kaliyapermal will always lie in the memory of CPI(ML) comrades as one of the founding figures of the ML movement in Tamilnadu. Agricultural workers, most of them of the oppressed castes, were inspired by him to challenge the feudal landowners and to harvest paddy from one of the richest landowners in 1970. Comrade Kaliyaperumal’s entire family paid a terrible cost for this act of defiance:not only he himself, but also both his young sons, his younger brother and his niece were all convicted and imprisoned for 12 years. Broad sections of society were galvanized in the movement demanding their release from prison. Comrade Kaliyaperumal’s sacrifices and his legacy will continue to inspire new generations of revolutionaries.
Long Live Comrade Kaliyaperumal!