P. Shanmugam (CPIM)
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P. Shanmugam | |
|---|---|
| Secretary, CPI(M) Tamil Nadu State Committee | |
| Assumed office 5 January 2025 | |
| Preceded by | K. Balakrishnan |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 1960 Peruvallanallur, Trichy, Madras State, India |
| Political party |  Communist Party of India (Marxist) |
| Occupation | Politician |
P. Shanmugam is an Indian communist politician from Tamil Nadu. He is currently serving as the secretary of Tamil Nadu unit of Communist Party of India (Marxist).[1][2] He is also the member of the Central Committee of the party since 10 April 2022.[3]
Political Career
[edit]At the age of 19, Shanmugam became associated with the CPM by joining its student wing, the Students Federation of India (SFI).
Shanmugam gained prominence by founding the TN Tribal People Association and advocating for tribal rights. He became widely known for leading protests against the violence unleashed by the police and forest officials on the tribals in Vachathi, Dharmapuri, during the 1992 search for forest brigand Veerappan.[4]
He was one of the leaders of the tribal people's struggle which led to the enactment of Forest Rights Act, 2006 in UPA-I government.[5]
He served as the general secretary of the TN Farmers Association, a CPM wing, for 13 years. He played a key role in mobilizing support against the BJP-led Union government's farm bills in 2020. In recognition of his efforts for the underprivileged, he received the Ambedkar Award 2023 from the Tamil Nadu state government.[6]
He was the member of the four-membered panel formed by the CPI(M) for seat sharing discussions with the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam for 2024 Indian general election.[7]
On 5 January 2025, He was elected as the secretary of Tamil Nadu unit of Communist Party of India (Marxist), succeeding K. Balakrishnan at the party's state conference in Villupuram. He is the first dalit to hold that post.[8]
References
[edit]- ^ "P. Shanmugam, who got justice for Vachathi victims, is CPI(M) State secretary". January 5, 2025 – via www.thehindu.com.
- ^ Maran, Mathivanan (January 5, 2025). "சிபிஎம்-ன் புதிய மாநிலச் செயலாளராக 'வாச்சாத்தி நாயகன்' பெ. சண்முகம் தேர்வு! கே.பாலகிருஷ்ணன் மாற்றம்!". tamil.oneindia.com (in Tamil).
- ^ "Communist Party Of India (Marxist)".
- ^ "Vachathi hero Shanmugham becomes first Dalit secretary of CPM Tamil Nadu".
- ^ "He also fought at the forefront of the struggles of the tribal people, demanding community certificates and implementation of the Forest Rights Act. The historic Forest Rights Act became possible only after the tribals launched a land rights struggle and met the then Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on November 24, 2006, the party release said".
- ^ "CM Stalin gives away Periyar, Ambedkar awards".
- ^ "CPM constitutes panel for seat-sharing talks with DMK". The Times of India.
- ^ "CPM chooses its first dalit state secretary, Shanmugam". January 6, 2025 – via Times of India.