Veteran trade union leader and long-time CPI functionary HV Anantha Subbarao (84) passed away on Wednesday, January 28. He was one of the tallest leaders of Karnataka’s labour movement.
A prominent voice of the working class for more than five decades, Subbarao was widely regarded as a steadfast organiser rooted in Marxist ideology.
Subbarao entered the trade union movement in the 1960s, inspired by Marxism and communism. He began his public life as an employee leader and rose to prominence through the LIC Employees’ Union. He also contested Assembly elections on a CPI ticket and went on to serve as the longest-serving General Secretary of the All India Trade Union Congress (AITUC) in Karnataka.
During his tenure, AITUC expanded its organisational base into new and emerging segments, including scheme workers and public transport employees. Subbarao also led several major industrial unions, among them being those representing workers at ITC and Mico Bosch.
For over 50 years, he worked closely with employees of the state transport corporations, steering the KSRTC Staff and Workers’ Federation through multiple phases of agitation and negotiation. He became the public face of transport workers’ struggles in the state and was jailed multiple times during strike actions.
Subbarao served as president of the AITUC Karnataka committee until January 2026, when he stepped down from the post and was succeeded by Babu Mathew.
Chief Minister Siddaramaiah mourned the veteran leader, describing him as a senior CPI figure and a tireless labour organiser. “Subbarao, who led numerous movements for over four decades, was a close associate of mine. His tireless fighting spirit and ideological commitment serve as an inspiration to all fighters,” he said. The Chief Minister added that Subbarao’s passing was an “irreplaceable loss” to society, particularly to the working class.
Union Minister HD Kumaraswamy also expressed grief over his demise.