N Shankaraiah, a stalwart known for a lifetime of selfless dedication to advocating for the rights of the underprivileged has passed away at the age of 101. He was among the 32 people who exited the CPI National Council in 1964 to protest against its right-wing shift leaving VS Achuthanandan as the sole remaining member of that faction. With Shankaraiah's demise, an era marked by relentless advocacy for social justice draws to a close.

Shankaraiah, born on July 16, 1922 in Kovilpatti, Tuticorin was deeply involved in Communist Party activities from a young age. He became a party member at 17 and eventually served as the Tamil Nadu State Secretary for an extended period. His commitment to the freedom movement led to encounters with police brutality and imprisonment notably during his time in Kannur Central Jail concurrent with the execution of Kayyur comrades.

Over the years, Shankaraiah made significant contributions to disseminating communist ideologies across the nation and establishing working-class organizations at various levels. Even as a leader, he remained deeply connected to grassroots activism. His early years as a student saw active participation in both the freedom struggle and the movement against the imposition of Hindi which brought him in close contact with AKG during a clandestine operation in Tamil Nadu.

As one of the nine founding members of the Communist Party unit in Tamil Nadu in 1940, Shankaraiah endured eight years of imprisonment during British and independent Indian rule. His roles expanded within the party hierarchy serving as CPM State Secretary, Central Committee Member, President of All India Kisan Sabha and General Secretary along with holding the position of Legislative Party Deputy Leader.

Shankaraiah's passing signifies the culmination of a century-long relentless endeavour to unite various sections of society under the banner of the revolutionary party. He remained a steadfast model of Communist principles until his final days. Sitaram Yechury, General Secretary of CPM acknowledged Shankaraiah's tireless efforts to steer India towards a socialist society. The CPM Polit Bureau expressed that the values upheld by Shankaraiah will endure.

A defining trait of Shankaraiah was his modest lifestyle marked by his refusal of the Rs 10 lakh prize awarded by the state government of Tamil Nadu on Independence Day 2021. Instead, he redirected the funds to the Chief Minister's Relief Fund. For him, the struggle and life were inseparable encapsulating the purity and sanctity of communist ideals that illuminated his political journey.