Kerala - Thrissur   

A political leader and litterateur

P. K. Gopalakrishnan

Thrissur: CPI leader and former Kerala Deputy Speaker P. K. Gopalakrishnan, who died at Irinjalakuda near here on Monday, was a prominent political leader of the area.

He was elected to the Assembly from the Kodungalloor constituency in 1967 and from Nattika in 1977 and 1980. He was Assembly Deputy Speaker in 1977. He was also chairman of the Assembly Estimates Committee.

He was attracted to Communist ideals while studying at the Maharaja’s College. He was arrested for taking part in the Quit India movement as secretary of the Students’ Federation in Kochi and the Government revoked his student scholarship. He joined the Communist Party in 1941. He was arrested for party activities several times and served a

one-and-a-half year term. In 1952, he contested as a Communist candidate from the Nattika constituency and was elected to the Madras Assembly. He then defeated his uncle and Congress candidate A. P. Raman.

When the Communist party split in 1964, he chose to be in the CPI. He has authored several books, including ’Keralathinte Samskarika Charithram’, ’Kalayum Sahithyavum -- Oru Patanam’, ‘O. Chandu Menon’, ‘Samskara Dhara’, ‘Purogamana Sahitya Prasthanam – Nizhalum Velichavum’, ‘Jaina Matham Keralathil’ and ‘Sree Narayana Guru --Viswa Manavikathayude Pravachakan’.

He was a recipient of the Kerala Sahitya Akademi Award (1977), K. Damodaran Award, Sree Narayana Samskarika Samithy Award, V. K. Rajan Award and C. R. Kesavan Vaidyar Smakaraka Sree Narayana Jayanythi Award. He was editor of the journals, Navajeevan, Navayugam and Kiranam, and secretary of the Kerala History Association, Samastha Kerala Sahitya Parishad and the Purogamana Kala Sahitya Sanghom.

He is survived by two children.

The body will be cremated on the premises of his residence at Sreenarayanapuram in Kodungalloor on Tuesday around 10 a.m.

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