Veteran CPM leader MM Lawrence passes away at 95

Kochi: Veteran Communist Party of India (Marxist) [CPM] leader M M Lawrence passed away on Saturday at Medical Trust Hospital, Ernakulam. He was 95. Lawrence had been admitted to the hospital for over a month due to age-related ailments.

Lawrence, a long-serving CPM's central committee member, was a prominent figure in Kerala's left-wing political landscape.

Born in 1929 as the son of Avira Mathu and Mangalath Mariyam at Mulavukadu in Ernakulam, Lawrence rose through the party ranks to become a central committee member. He later served as the convener of the Left Democratic Front (LDF). He was also a prominent leader of the Centre of Indian Trade Unions (CITU), where he held national leadership roles. From 1980 to 1984, he also served as a parliament (MP) member representing the Idukki constituency. He became a member of the Communist Party in 1946. During the freedom struggle, he was expelled from St.Albert's school for pinning the tri-colour flag to his pocket. Later, he continued his education at Munavirul Islam School. He discontinued his formal education in class 10 and became a full-time politician.

He was a key accused in the Edappally police station attack and was arrested in 1950, following which he was subjected to brutal police torture. He had been an under-trial prisoner for two years. Later, in 1965, he was arrested as part of preventive detention.

Lawrence had been a fierce critic of veteran CPM leader V S Achuthanandan. In his biography, Ormacheppu Thurakkumbol, he unleashed scathing references against Achuthanandan and recollected instances of factionalism that had plagued the party. In 1998, he was demoted from the central committee to the Kadavanthra area committee based on a report that probed his activities related to the Save CPM forum. He returned to the state committee and became the General Secretary of CITU.

He was married to late Baby. He is survived by sons M L Sajeevan, ML Abi and daughter Asha Lawrence.