Com. P Jaswantha Rao, member of Secretariat of Central Committee of CPI(ML)- Class Struggle, passed away on August 27th evening in Hyderabad. He was the editor of the party organs – Class Struggle and Janashakti. He was also the Secretary of Comrade Tarimela Nagireddy Memorial Trust. He succumbed to COVID-19 after battling the disease for 10 days in a hospital. He was actively writing till the first week of August in bringing out the magazine till he became ill.

Born on May 29, 1947, he was drawn to Marxism while studying Medicine in Rangaraya Medical College, Kaiknada. He took an active role in the discuassions in the Marxist study forum and chose Marxism-Leninism- Mao’s Thought as his guiding ideology for his life and practice. In 1970 he joined the communist revolutionary movement and organization.

He was arrested in August 1976 during the dark days of emergency in India. He was in prison for one and half years. He completed his MBBS after his release but chose to work for the people instead of continuing ahead with his professional career. He chose political economy as his focus area and developed a deeper knowledge continuing the analysis of Comrade TN in his work India Mortgaged.

As a leading member of the organisation, he was the editor of many party organs – Janashakti, Muktigami, Red Star and Class Struggle. He worked tirelessly in providing deeper insights with a Marxist Leninist perspective on the political economy of India. He remained a worthy successor of TN’s analysis and work in this field.

CPI(ML)-New Democracy pays homage to the revolutionary memory of Com. Jaswantha Rao. His tireless work and modesty in dealing with others will long be remembered by those with whom he worked and came in contact during his revolutionary life. We express solidarity with comrades of CPI(ML)-Class  Struggle in the hour of this loss.

Central Committee

CPI(ML)-New Democracy

August 28, 2020