CHERUVATHUR: Former CPM Kasargod district secretary, state committee member and Thrikaripur MLA K Kunhiraman (80) passed away on Thursday. At present, he is a member of the CPM Area Committee. He was CPM District Secretary and State Committee Member from 1994 to 2004 and Thrikaripur MLA from 2006 to 2016.

He had served as president of Cheruvathur panchayat from 1979 to 1984. He has also served as Director of Kasaragod Cooperative Hospital, Tejaswini Hospital in Nileshwaram and President of the District Labour Contract Society.

A member of a traditional medical family, Kunhiraman was born on November 10, 1943, as the son of KV Kunjambu Vaidyar and Kunhimanikkam. It was AKG who admitted him to KSF when he was a student. After studying Sanskrit at Vadakara Siddhashram, he joined Thrippunithura Ayurveda College. Active in KSF during his studies, Kunhiraman became the State Vice President and Ernakulam District President during 1967-70. After returning home four years later, he gave up his medical practice and became a full-time Communist Party worker.

Kunhiraman is survived by his wife NTK Sarojini, and children Sindhu, Sheena, Sheeja, Anil and Sunil.