Thiruvananthapuram, Friday, December 23, 2011: Former Union Minister and former Chief Minister of Kerala K. Karunakaran was remembered on his first death anniversary on Friday.

Affectionately called ‘Leader’ by his admirers, Congress stalwart Kannoth Karunakaran was a master tactician who remained a King in Kerala politics for decades and at times a much sought after political troubleshooter at the national level.

Considered a close lieutenant of former prime ministers Indira Gandhi and Rajiv Gandhi, the four-time former Kerala chief minister has been credited with creating in the 1970s a rainbow coalition — the UDF — that has sustained itself on the support from different social, caste and religious groups as a powerful bloc to take on CPM-led LDF.

A former Union Industries Minister, the diminutive 93-year-old politician with a trade-mark hump and rasping staccato sentences had an amazing capacity for political survival except for brief breaks and showed no signs of let up in ambitions even in his sunset years.

Initiated in politics in 1935 at the age of 19 when he became a member of the state Congress led by M Narayana Menon, Karunakaran, often criticized for apparent nepotism, and first became chief minister on March 25, 1977.

Karunakaran, who has proved for decades that Kerala politics can still be his playing field, has often been accused of turning senile in his later years but he was not ready to say goodbye to his political career spanning over seven decades.

Even when he was in his late eighties, his political maneuvering was just as dexterous, mental agility just as remarkable and wit and sarcasm just as biting as ever. An inscrutable political leader known for his steadfast devotion to Lord Krishna, the presiding deity at the famed Guruvayoor temple in Kerala, Karunakaran has always been a wily political player and, through sheer hard work and lots of luck, has donned a variety of roles — as trade union leader, the Opposition leader, a union minister or the chief minister.

He has been a Congress(I) father figure who built the party “from a group of nine MLAs in 1967” through two divisions in 1969 and 1978 to a strength of 57 in the 1991 Congress(I)-led UDF Ministry. The big break in his career came in 1967 with the party choosing him to lead the nine-member Congress bloc after the party was humbled by the LDF.

When his colleagues pushed him out of power while he was serving as chief minister for the fourth time, it rankled him no end. The feeling of being dispossessed has led him to seek revenge at every opportunity ever inviting criticism from his opponents accusing him of trying to wreck the Congress in Kerala.

Karunakaran and A K Antony — now the Defence Minister and a former chief minister — were dubbed the political Tom-and-Jerry equivalents who ran each other in circles for over two decades, to the consternation of the state.

Karunakaran has been the Chief Minister of Kerala four times but completed his full five year term only once from 1982 to 1987. All the four state ministries under him were however tainted with allegations of nepotism and corruption.

A key accused in palmolein import scam which has also sucked in the current Central Vigilance Commissioner P J Thomas, Karunakaran as chief minister had decided to import 15,000 tonnes of palm oil at 405 USD per tonne from a Singapore-based firm whereas the prevailing market price was 392 USD per tonne.

He took charge as Chief Minister for the first time on March 25, 1977. However he tendered his resignation within a month immediately following certain references by the Kerala High Court in what came to be known as Rajan case.

Rajan, an engineering student in Calicut who led anti-Emergency protests, was allegedly killed by the police at Kakkayam police camp. Karunakaran was the Home Minister from 1971 to 1977 in the Ministry headed by C Achutha Menon.

Karunakaran took charge as Chief Minister again on December 28, 1981. However, this ministry did not last long. He resigned on March 17, 1982 following the withdrawal of support by a member of the Kerala Congress (M). Mid-term elections to the 7th Kerala Legislative Assembly was held on May 19, 1982.

The Ministry with Karunakaran as Chief Minister assumed office on May 24, 1982 and continued till 1987. On June 24, 1991, Karunakaran took charge again as Chief Minister of Kerala for the fourth term, and resigned on March 16, 1995, making way for his bete noire Antony to take up Chief Ministership.

After Antony was elected as chief minister in 2001, Karunakaran was on the warpath with the Government led by his own party and the party high command. After a series of unsuccessful attempts to regain supremacy in the Kerala wing of the Congress, the dissidents led by him landed up in the bad books of the Congress high command.

K. Karunakaran born July 5, 1918. For most part of his political career, he has been with Indian National Congress. He is a former Chief Minister of Kerala, Home minister of Government of Kerala, and Minister for Industries of Government of India. He is affectionately called “Leader” by Congress activists.

Early life

1918

K. Karunakaran was born on July 5, 1918 at Chirackkal in Kannur District to Shri.Thekkedathu Ravunni Marar and Smt. Kannoth Kalyani Amma with birth star ‘Karthika’.

1923

K Karunakaran started his Primary education in Vadakara LP School.At the time of joining school he insisted his name to be Karunakaran from Karunakara Marar which showed his rebel mind towards caste discrimination. 85+ year old register book is preserved in Andallur Senior basic School in which his name is visible.

1927

From Vadakara L.P School, He continued his Education in Raja’s U.P School.

1929

At the age of 11, Karunakaran got a chance to meet Mahathma Gandhi. He met Gandhi in Edakkad railway station.

1933

He took a liking to arts and drawing in 8th standard and ended up joining MTI Thrissur with an intention of obtaining a diploma in drawing (Chitra rachana).

1937

He started off as an activist in the Kochi Rajya Praja Mandalam in 1937 and later entered electoral politics as member of the Thrissur Municipal Council from 1945 - 1947. He got the Membership of Kochi Rajya Praja Mandalam from Sri. V.R. Krishnan Ezhuthachan.

1941

Karunakaran started his political life in Kochi Rajya Praja Mandalam and become an active memeber during the year 1941.

1942

In August 1942, he become a part of the “Quit India” Freedom movement and becomes an active member of the Feeedom movement of India.

1945

In the year 1945, before India got freedom, he got his first election winning. The name ‘Leader’ was fist called by Mr. P.D. Kuriyappan

1947

India got indipendence as a result of freedom struggle by many of our greate leaders.

1948

Won Ollukkara Election booth with complete 1314 votes first time in the History

1948

Won Election to Cochin Legislative Assembly.

1952 - 1953

Chief whip of Congress Legislature Party.

1954

Keeping to the tradition of the time, he married his uncle’s daughter Smt. Kalyanikutty amma in 1954 at the Guruvayur temple.

1949,1952,1954

In the Years - 1949,1952,1954, He got elected to Travancore Cochin Legislative Assembly.

1956

Formation of Kerala.

1957

Indian Delegation to I.L.O. Conference.

1965-95

Member, Kerala Legislative Assembly (Seven Terms)

1968-70

Chairman of the committee on Public Accounts.

1967-1969

Leader of the Opposition Kerala Legislative Assembly (Four Times)

1967-69, 1978, 1980-81 and 1987-91

1970

Founder of UDF.

1971 - 1977

Cabinet Minister, Home Affairs, Kerala.

1977,81,82-87,1991-95

Chief Minister, Kerala (Four Terms)

1977,81,82-87,1991-95

1980

M.L.A - 5th time elected to Kerala Legislative Assembly

1981

Chief Minister, Kerala (Second Time)

He took charge as Chief Minister again on December 28, 1981.

1982

M.L.A - 6th time elected to Kerala Legislative Assembly

1987

Chairman, Committee on Socio-economic Policies, All India Congress Committee (A.I.C.C.)

1988

In 1988 July 5th, he Celebrated his Sapthathi - 70th Birthday

1991

Elected to Kerala Legislative Assembly

1993

March 25, His Soul mate, passed away.

1995 - 1996

Union Cabinet Minister - Industries.

1995-98

Member of Parliament

2005

DIC(K) was founded at a meeting in Thrissur by the K. Karunakuran fraction of the Indian National Congress on May 1, 2005. Initially it was called National Congress (Indira), but the name was changed DIC(K) for registration purposes in August same year.

Family

Keeping to the tradition of the time, he married his uncle’s daughter Kalyanikutty Amma in 1954 at the Guruvayur temple. If there is a woman behind the success of every man, it is true also of our leader whose wife continuously supported him besides taking care of the household affairs as well as raising two children.

But on 1993 March 25, he lost his better half. From that day onwards he becomes a pure vegetarian. Also he had given her name to his house in Trivandrum.

The son, K Muraleedharan, former KPCC President and former Minister for Electricity is now the President of the Democratic Indira Congress. He was also be a Member of Parliment in the years 1989, 1991 and 1999 from Calicut by representing Indian National Congress

Married to : Jyothi . Children : 1) Arunnath 2) Sabarinath

The daughter, Padmaja Venugopal was Chairperson of Kerala Tourism Development Corporation.

Married to Mr. Venugopal. Children : 1) Aiswarya 2) Karun

Controversies

K. Karunakaran was the home minister of Kerala during the emergency period. After the Emergency, the Rajan case rocked Kerala politics like no other issue before and murderer Karunakaran was forced to step down as the case attracted national attention.

It was a habeas corpus petition filed by T.V. Eachara Warrier seeking the state machinery produce his son Rajan ( a student of Regional Engineering College ,Calicut who actively participated in protests against the emergency declared by Smt.Indira government) in court. Rajan was allegedly killed by the police on the order of Karunakaran (then home minister) at Kakkayam police camp.

Karunakaran is considered as a shrewd politician in Kerala. Karunakaran was harshly criticised by of T. V. Eachara Warrier in his book Memories of a Father. The book is translated from Malayalam to English and is published by Asian Human Rights Commission.

The High Court judgment issued in 1977 on the Habeas Corpus petition is given in the appendix section of the book. When Eachara Warrier died, the press asked for Karunakan’s comments, to which he replied “Who is Eachara Warrier? What is his importance? What is his contribution to the country? Is he the representative of any political party or movement? Is he a litterateur?”

Karunakaran died on 23 December 2010 aged 92 at a private hospital in Thiruvananthapuram. He was suffering from respiratory problems, fever and other age related diseases and was hospitalized on 21 October 2010. His condition worsened following a stroke and the death occurred when he had a cardiac arrest. His death was confirmed by doctors at 5:30 PM. It was coincidental that his death and Narasimha Rao’s death was on same date. Karunakaran had played key role in backing the Rao Government and later Rao had dismissed Karunakaran from the chair of Chief Minister of Kerala. His funeral was attended by the prime minister Manmohan Singh and the AICC chief Sonia Gandhi.

(With news agency inputs)