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N. Sankaraiah breathed his last on November 15, 2023. He was 102; he is
survived by sons Chandrasekar and Narasimhan, and daughter Chitra.



During the course of an interview to P. Sainath and PARI in
December 2019, Sankaraiah spoke at length about his life – most of which had
been spent in protest. Read: <a href="https://ruralindiaonline.org/en/articles/sankariah-nine-decades-a-revolutionary/">Sankariah: nine
decades a revolutionary</a> 



He was 99 when the interview happened and age was yet to shrink him. His
voice remained resolute and his memory, impeccable. He was full of life. Full
of hope.  



Sankaraiah had spent eight years in
jail during the freedom struggle – once in 1941 when he was a
student at American College, Madurai and later, in 1946, as an accused in
the Madurai Conspiracy case. The Indian government has recognised the Madurai
Conspiracy as part of the freedom movement. 

Although a good student, Sankaraiah
couldn’t complete his degree as in 1941 his arrest for protesting against
British rule, was just 15 days before his final BA examinations. 

He was released a day before India got
her independence – on August 14, 1947. Sankaraiah spent three years underground
after the Communist Party was banned in 1948. Growing up in a politically
charged atmosphere – his maternal grandfather was a Periyarist – Sankaraiah was
acquainted with the Left movement during his college days. After his release
from the prison and after Independence, Sankaraiah was active in the Communist
movement. He was instrumental in building the farmer’s movement in Tamil Nadu,
and spearheading many other struggles.  

Even while being part of the freedom
struggle, Sankaraiah, like many Communist leaders, fought for other issues. “We
fought for equal wages, untouchability issues and temple entry movements” he
said in the interview to PARI. “Abolishing Zamindari system was an important
move. The Communists fought for this.”

Read his interview with P. Sainath, <a href="https://ruralindiaonline.org/en/articles/sankariah-nine-decades-a-revolutionary/">Sankariah: nine
decades a revolutionary</a> and watch the <a href="https://youtu.be/xpPK1bJC0Nc">video</a>.

N. Sankaraiah, revolutionary till the end

این شنکریہ، جو آخری سانس تک انقلابی رہے

చివరి శ్వాస వరకూ విప్లవకారుడిగా జీవించిన ఎన్. శంకరయ్య

ਐੱਨ. ਸ਼ੰਕਰਾਇਆ, ਅੰਤ ਤੱਕ ਇਨਕਲਾਬੀ

ଏନ୍.ଶଙ୍କରୈୟା, ଅନ୍ତିମ କ୍ଷଣ ପର୍ଯ୍ୟନ୍ତ ବିପ୍ଳବୀ

एन. संकरय्याः शेवटच्या श्वासापर्यंत क्रांतीचा ध्यास

എൻ.ശങ്കരയ്യ, അവസാനശ്വാസംവരെ വിപ്ലവകാരി

ಬದುಕಿನ ಕೊನೆಯವರೆಗೂ ಕ್ರಾಂತಿಕಾರಿಯಾಗಿಯೇ ಉಳಿದ ಎನ್. ಶಂಕರಯ್ಯ

आख़िरी सांस तक मज़लूमों के लिए लड़ते रहे एन. शंकरैया

એન. સંકરૈયા, છેવટ લગી ક્રાંતિકારી

एन. शंकरैया, आखिरी साँस तक क्रांतिकारी

अंतिम सांस ले क्रांतिकारी, एन शंकरैया

কমরেড এন. শঙ্করাইয়া: বিপ্লব-স্পন্দিত এক জীবন

শেষ নিশ্বাস পৰ্য্যন্ত বিপ্লৱী শংকৰীয়া

என். சங்கரய்யா, இறுதிவரை புரட்சியாளர்

Chennai

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N. Sankaraiah, revolutionary till the end

On November 15, 2023, freedom fighter Narasimhalu Sankariah passed away. He spent his life fighting tirelessly for the oppressed, the working class and farmers of the country

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