M C Josephine, CPI(M) leader and the former chairperson of the Kerala Women’s Commission, died on Sunday afternoon at the age of 74. She was admitted to a hospital in Kannur on Saturday after suffering a heart attack during 23rd Party Congress. 

Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan condoled her passing, saying, “Josephine was a leader who worked for the working class, women and for the people. She was actively present in student and women politics for more than 50 years.”

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Party leader and present Kerala Women’s Commission chairperson P Sathidevi, speaking to reporters in Kannur, said it was “shocking” news. She said that no one was aware that Josephine was suffering from any serious illness and it was very distressing to hear about her sudden demise. 

Who was M C Josephine?

Born in 1950 in Ernakulam, Kochi, MC Josephine joined CPM in 1978 and quickly rose to prominence. She became a member of the CPM Ernakulam District Committee in 1984 and three years later, she was nominated to the State Committee. She became a member of the CPM central committee in 2002.

Josephine was a councillor in Angamaly municipality for 13 years. She, however, never tasted parliamentary success. She contested to the Lok Sabha from Idukki constituency in 1989 and to the legislative assembly from Angamali in 1987, Mattancherry in 2006 and Kochi in 2011, but failed all four times.

Josephine went to serve as the chairperson of the Kerala Women’s Commission from 2017 to 2021 before she was forced to resign from the post following a controversy over her insensitive remarks to a domestic violence victim. 

Josephine was married to trade union leader Pallippattu P A Mathai, who died in March 2020, also of a heart attack.

Her net worth is estimated to be around $5 million.