Veteran CPI(M) leader Anathalavattom Anandan dies
Thiruvananthapuram (PTI): Veteran CPI(M) leader and former legislator Anathalavattom Anandan, who played a key role in building the trade union base for the party in Kerala, died at a hospital here on Thursday, his colleagues said.
He was 86. He is survived by his wife and two children.
The veteran leader's end came while undergoing treatment at the Government Medical College hospital here for a prolonged illness, party sources said.
Anandan was the state president of the Centre of Indian Trade Union (CITU).
Born in Varkala in Thiruvananthapuram district in 1937, Anandan began his political career in 1954 by participating in an agitation seeking more wages for coir workers in his village.
He became a member of the undivided Communist Party of India (CPI) in 1956, and stood with it after the split in the party in 1964.
Fighting for the cause of the working class in the state, Anandan played a key role in building the trade union base of the party in the state.
As the leader of the CITU, he led several agitations for the workers in both organised and unorganised sectors.
The veteran leader was elected to the state assembly from the Attingal constituency three times--in 1987, 1996 and 2007.
Anandan was also a prominent face of the CPI(M) in the TV debates.
His body will be kept at the CPI(M) headquarters here on Friday for the public to pay homage.
His cremation will be held at Santhikavadam here at 5 pm on Friday, the party said.
Kerala Governor Arif Mohammed Khan, Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, Finance Minister K N Balagopal, and leaders of various political parties including, Leader of Opposition in the state assembly, V D Satheesan, and BJP state chief K Surendran condoled the demise of Anandan.
In his message, Khan said Anandan's contributions to public service and workers' causes will be long remembered.
Vijayan said Anandan was a leader who dedicated his life to the working-class movement.
Recalling his long association with the departed leader, the chief minister said he was a strong organiser of the Communist movement in the state.
Whenever the Communist movement came under attack, Anandan actively intervened to convey the correct position of the party to the people and convinced them.
"The general society of Kerala as a whole and the Left movement and the trade union movement in particular have suffered a heavy loss due to the demise of Comrade," Vijayan said, paying tribute to Anandan.
Let the Truth be known. If you read VB and like VB, please be a VB Supporter and Help us deliver the Truth to one and all.
Real Madrid fines Valverde and Tchouaméni half a million euros each for altercation
Barcelona (AP): Real Madrid slapped players Federico Valverde and Aurélien Tchouaméni with half-a-million-euro ($588,000) fines on Friday for their altercation during practice.
The massive fines came a day after the midfielders tussled when the team trained. Valverde said in a post on social media on Thursday that no punches were thrown. But Valverde knocked his head on a table and he suffered a small cut that required a brief hospital visit.
On social media, Valverde initially called it a “meaningless fight” with a teammate and said “everything has been blown out of proportion."
His employers, however, considered it a significant enough breach of team discipline to nail both Valverde and Tchouaméni with fines that bite even the bank account of a top soccer player. The half-a-million euro penalties reflect the reputational damage the club was enduring in a chaotic end to a disappointing season.
In a statement, the 15-time European champion said its disciplinary action was concluded after both players expressed to the club “their complete remorse for what happened and apologized to one another.”
Madrid added they also apologized to their teammates, the coaching staff and club supporters, as well as showing their willingness to accept whatever disciplinary action the club deemed “opportune.”
Tchouaméni was back training with Madrid on Friday, two days before they play at Barcelona in a clasico. Madrid has to win otherwise Barcelona will be crowned La Liga champion.
After being notified of the fine, he posted a public apology to the club and its fans on social media.
“What happened this week in training is unacceptable,” Tchouaméni wrote. "I say this while thinking about the example we are expected to set for young people, whether in football or at school.
“Above all, I am sorry for the image we projected of the club.”
Valverde was not at practice due to the head knock.
Both players are set to play in the World Cup next month, with Tchouaméni playing for France and Valverde for Uruguay.
Chaotic end to a poor season
===================
The run-in between the players, who for seasons have played side by side in Madrid's midfield, came after they argued this week in previous training sessions. But tempers boiled over on Thursday. Spanish media was rife with reports that the players previously disagreed over the club's decision to let coach Xabi Alonso go after just months on the job.
It was not the only altercation involving Madrid players during training this week. Álvaro Carreras confirmed he was in a “minor” incident with a teammate. Spanish media said he and fellow defender Antonio Rüdiger got into a scuffle.
Álvaro Arbeloa, the coach who was promoted from Madrid's reserve team when Alonso was fired in January, will face tough questions on what went wrong inside the changing room when he gives a press conference on Saturday ahead of the clasico at Camp Nou.
Madrid is facing a second consecutive campaign without a major trophy amid rumors in the Spanish media that club president Florentino Pérez is considering bringing back Jose Mourinho to straighten out his underperforming team.
