Veteran CPI leader and legendary trade unionist, AM Gopu, passed away here on Thursday after a brief fight against cancer.
Born in Thanjavur in 1930, Gopu (82) showed signs of his revolutionary traits as early as in Class VIII, when he joined the struggle for the country’s Independence.
While he continued his studies in Nagapattinam after he was denied admission to a local school, Gopu started a handwritten journal, Paintamizh Saral, which received frequent contributions from stalwarts of the time. It was during this phase that Gopu began his various struggles as a trade unionist in the Cauvery Delta region, fighting for the rights of labourers in a number of factories and for farmers of the region.
When the Communist Party was banned in 1948, Gopu continued his efforts as a trade unionist under cover. During this period, a number of cases, including one for murder, were foisted against him.
Condoling the leader’s demise, Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa said in a statement that A M Gopu, a great trade unionist who has also served as the general secretary of the Tamil Nadu AITUC, involved himself in the freedom struggle against the British and went to prison.
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