MM Lawrence, veteran Marxist leader and a former member of the Communist Party of India (Marxist)'s Central Committee has died. One of the first generation leaders of the undivided Communist Party of India (CPI), Lawrence breathed his last at a private hospital in Kochi on Saturday, September 21, morning. He was 95.

Lawrence was an activist of the All India Trade Union Congress (AITUC) and later the Centre of Indian Trade Unions (CITU). As a young trade unionist he played a key role in organising port and factory workers in Kochi.

A former convenor of the Left Democratic Front (LDF) in the state, Lawrence played a crucial role in events that shaped communist movement in the state. He was an accused in the infamous Edappally police station attack of 1950, which led to the death of two policemen and led to a ban on the communist party in Kerala. Lawrence was imprisoned for 22 months for his role in the police station attack. He also served a jail term during the Emergency.

In 1998, Lawrence, while serving the party’s Central Committee, was demoted as a member of the Area Committee in Kadavanthra for his involvement in the activities of ‘Save CPI(M) Forum'. He was later elevated to the Ernakulam District Committee. From 1980 to 1984 he served as a member of Parliament (MP) from Idukki Lok Sabha constituency. 

Expressing condolences, Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan said “He was a senior leader in the Communist movement of the state. He has a notable legacy in various struggles including the Edappally police attack and was a widely respected leader.”