Congress leader Kadavoor Sivadasan passes away in Thiruvananthapuram

KOLLAM

: Senior Congress leader

Kadavoor Sivadasan

(88) died at a private hospital in the capital around 4.50am on Friday. Sivadasan is survived by daughter Mini S and son Shaji. S. He was admitted here four days ago with pneumonia and his condition worsened on Thursday night. His daughter, son-in-law and nephew were beside him when he breathed his last.

Former chief

minister

Oommen Chandy rushed to the hospital early in the morning while senior leaders AK Antony, Chennithala and MLA VS Sivakumar had reached the hospital on Thursday night.

By 8am his body was taken to Kollam and many people came to see him one last time at Parippally and Chathannoor. By 9.50am, his body was brought to the DCC office where people from various walks of life paid their last respects. By 11am, his body was brought home near Anandavalleswaram temple. At 5pm, the body was cremated at Mulankadakam public cemetery with full state honours. His son Shaji and nephew Saji lighted the funeral pyre.

Sivadasan, an advocate, was elected to state legislature on RSP ticket in 1980 and 1982. He later joined Congress and was elected to the

assembly

in 1991, 1996 and 2001 from Kollam. He served as a minister under K Karunakaran and AK Antony.

He emerged as a power centre in the district which was traditionally a bastion of the party’s I-group. After he joined Congress, he remained loyal to Karunakaran. He was the labour minister from 1981 to 1982 and from 1982 to 1987, he held the labour and excise portfolios in the Karunakaran government.

In 1995-96, he was the minister for forest and rural development in the AK Antony government. During 2001-04, he was Antony’s power minister. In 2004, he was given health and family welfare portfolio. During his tenure as the labour minister a welfare board was constituted for the unorganized sector workers.

In the absence of the chief minister, fisheries minister J Mercykutty Amma and forest minister K Raju paid tributes on behalf of the government. In his condolence message Pinarayi Vijayan said Sivadasan – who emerged as a political leader through RSP in Kollam – had a great influence on the working class. Chennithala recollected Sivadasan did his duty effectively during his ministerial terms. Antony, Chandy, MP KC Venugopal, MLA K Muraleedharan, K Sudhakaran and former Union minister KV Thomas, former union minister Vayalar Ravi, former KPCC President CV Padmarajan, Sooranad Rajasekharan and several others condoled his death. CPI state secretary Kanam Rajendran, PK Gurudasan and Mullakkara Ratnakaran also paid their respects.