Kozhikode, 30 May (H.S.):Veteran Communist Party of India (Marxist) leader and former Kozhikode Mayor T.P. Dasan passed away late Friday night. He was a senior CPM functionary and was serving as a member of the party’s Kozhikode Town Area Committee at the time of his death. He breathed his last at around 11.30 p.m. at the Cooperative Hospital in Kozhikode.

Dasan was a prominent figure in Kerala’s Left movement and had played a significant role in Kozhikode’s political and civic life for several decades. He served as the Mayor of Kozhikode Corporation from 1991 to 1995 and was also the President of the Kozhikode District Sports Council. For many years, he was a member of the CPM district secretariat and remained actively involved in party affairs until his final days.

A native of Karayad in Arikkulam Panchayat near Kuttiady, Dasan’s rise in public life reflected his deep roots in the Communist movement. After completing his schooling at Mepayur School, he obtained a diploma in physical education and briefly worked as a teacher at Thali Government UP School. His teaching career lasted only two years, after which he entered full-time political activity.

Following his departure from government service, Dasan became increasingly active in the CPM and emerged as one of the party’s key leaders in Kozhikode district. He became a member of the CPM district committee and, from 1985 onwards, served continuously on the district secretariat, contributing significantly to the party’s organisational growth in the region.

Dasan is survived by his wife, T.V. Lalithaprabha, a former Standing Committee Chairperson of Kozhikode Corporation and a retired Cooperative Deputy Registrar, who is also a CPM Town Local Committee member.

He is also survived by his children — Mili, an architect with ULCCS; Mini, an HR Officer with Keltron in Thiruvananthapuram; and Mithun, an engineer based in the United Kingdom. Funeral rites will be held later.

---------------

Hindusthan Samachar / Arun Lakshman