Suravaram Sudhakar Reddy passes away: An orator par excellence who led student, youth and farmers’ struggles in the country

Veteran communist leader, former Communist Party of India (CPI) General Secretary, and two-time Parliament member, Suravaram Sudhakar Reddy, passed away on Friday (August 22, 2025) night while undergoing treatment at a private hospital in Hyderabad. He was 83.

His health had deteriorated in recent days, and he succumbed following a cardiac arrest. He is survived by his wife B.V. Vijayalakshmi, a senior AITUC leader, and two sons, Nikhil and Kapil.

His last rites will be held on Sunday (August 24, 2025) as his elder son is expected to arrive from the United States. Mr. Reddy’s mortal remains will be kept at CPI State Office, Makhdoom Bhavan, from 10 a.m. on Sunday for the public to pay homage. The funeral procession will take place in the afternoon, after which his body will be handed over to Gandhi Medical College for research, fulfilling his wish. His eyes will be donated to the Sarojini Devi Eye Hospital.

The news of his demise came as a shock to CPI cadres across Telangana, especially since it followed within minutes of the conclusion of the CPI Telangana State’s 4th Conference on Friday. Party leaders, including CPI General Secretary D. Raja, national secretaries Dr. K. Narayana and Syed Aziz Pasha, state secretary Kunamneni Sambasiva Rao, and several others, rushed to the hospital to pay their respects. Telangana Media Academy Chairman K. Srinivas Reddy, CPI Hyderabad district secretary Stalin, and many others joined them.

Mr Sudhakar Reddy served as a Member of Parliament from the Nalgonda constituency twice (1998 and 2004) and chaired the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Labour, where he was instrumental in drafting the Welfare Bill for Unorganised Workers. He also represented India at the United Nations General Assembly.

In 2008, he became CPI Deputy General Secretary and, in 2012, was elected as the party’s 9th General Secretary at the Patna Congress. He was re-elected at Puducherry (2015) and Kollam (2018). Owing to ill health, he stepped down in 2019.

Born on March 25, 1942, at Kondrevupalli in the combined Mahbubnagar district, Suravaram hailed from a family with a strong intellectual and reformist legacy. He was the nephew of Suravaram Pratap Reddy, the legendary editor of Golconda Patrika and a pioneer of Telangana cultural renaissance. His father Venkatram Reddy was a freedom fighter.

Mr. Sudhakar Reddy completed his schooling in Kurnool, graduated in History from Osmania Degree College, Kurnool, and later pursued LLB at Osmania University Law College, Hyderabad. Active in student movements, he rose through the ranks of All India Students Federation (AISF) and All India Youth Federation (AIYF), eventually becoming the All-India General Secretary of both the organisations, and playing a key role in nationwide student and youth struggles.

Known for his oratory skills, he worked extensively among agricultural workers and led struggles in Nalgonda, Medak, Mahbubnagar, and Kurnool districts. He was at the forefront of agitations against electricity tariff hikes and land struggles.

Condolences poured in from across the political spectrum. Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy, BRS president and former CM K. Chandrashekar Rao, TPCC chief Mahesh Kumar Goud, along with leaders from various parties and civil society, expressed their grief.