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Row among family over mortal remains of Communist leader
Disagreements between late Communist leader MM Lawrence’s son and one of his daughters took a dramatic turn on Monday as they could not reach a consensus on how to handle his mortal remains
Disagreements between late Communist leader MM Lawrence’s son and one of his daughters took a dramatic turn on Monday as they could not reach a consensus on how to handle his mortal remains. While his son claimed that their father wanted to donate his body to science, his daughter raised an objection to it.
The siblings had gathered along with several others at the Ernakulam Town Hall in Kochi where Lawrence’s body was kept for people to visit and pay their last respects.
Lawrence, a former Lok Sabha MP and former central committee member of CPI(M), died at 95 in a private hospital in Kochi due to age-related ailments. Thereafter, his son ML Sajeevan and daughter Sujatha Boban informed the party that the leader wanted his body to be donated to the Ernakulam Government Medical College Hospital (GMCH) for research.
However, Lawrence’s other daughter, Asha, moved the Kerala high court on Monday against this decision and argued that her father continued to be a member of the local parish. Sajeevan, however, rejected Asha’s claims that their father was a practicing Christian.
On Monday afternoon, when the petition came up for hearing, the state attorney told the court that as per section 4A of the Kerala Anatomy Act, 1957, written consent of the deceased was ‘not mandatory’ (for donating body for medical research). Sajeevan and Sujatha also submitted an affidavit in court expressing their father’s wish.
The high court underscored that the consent of the deceased ‘need not necessarily be in writing’ and can be orally expressed in the presence of two or more persons. Disposing the petition, the bench of Justice VG Arun directed the principal of the Ernakulam GMCH to take possession of the leader’s mortal remains and consider the objection raised by Asha before further action.
However, following the HC’s orders, when Lawrence’s remains were being prepared to be taken from the community centre to the hospital, Asha objected to it and leaned over the glass coffin containing her father’s body.
Television visuals captured a wailing Asha being comforted by her son, as hundreds of CPM workers and supporters of the veteran leader carrying red flags stood raising slogans.
The tension soon gave way to scuffles as party workers and other relatives of the deceased pushed Asha and her son away in order to take the body to the hospital. In the ensuing melee, Asha fainted and had to be carried out of the hall. Lawrence’s remains were quickly whisked away into a waiting ambulance and ferried to the Ernakulam GMCH.
Sajeevan, later talking to reporters, suspected the involvement of BJP leaders in ‘instigating’ his estranged sister and ‘exploiting’ the situation.
“A few BJP leaders had arrived here and were seen speaking to Asha and escorting her. Those leaders have been exploiting her politically to tarnish the reputation of the Left movement,” he said.
“My father and I have held detailed discussions on many subjects including politics, religion and social issues. He was not a believer in God and he has always expressed his wish to donate his body for medical research. He always said a dead body carried value only if it was used for medical research,” he said.
CN Mohanan, Ernakulam district secretary of CPI(M), said the party has no stake in deciding whether the veteran leader’s remains should be buried or donated to hospital.
“We have only followed the wishes of the family. It’s for them to decide whether they want to include religious rituals. We cannot interfere if there are disagreements within the family,” he said.
Lawrence was elected from Idukki Lok Sabha seat on a CPI(M) ticket in 1980. He also served within the party in various capacities such as member of its central committee, state general secretary of the trade union wing CITU and convenor of the Left Democratic Front (LDF) for 11 years from 1987 to 1998. He was an accused in the 1950 attack on a police station at Edappally, a key event in the Communist movement’s historic struggle in Kerala.
Following the attack, the veteran leader was caught by the police and subjected to brutal torture at a time when his party was banned in the state.
