Allocations for cultural institutions and for construction of memorials, mentioned towards the fag end of the budget speech, do not usually generate much debate. But, on Friday, when Finance Minister T.M. Thomas Isaac announced that ₹10 crore would be earmarked for constructing a monument in memory of Communist leader A.K. Gopalan at his native place Paralassery, quite a few heads turned in the Assembly, to one specific direction.
The announcement is significant in view of the recent controversies kicked up by Congress MLA V.T. Balram’s Facebook post portraying AKG in poor light. He had described AKG as a ‘paedophile’ who fell in love with Suseela Gopalan, who was much younger to him. The MLA, who represents Thrithala in the Assembly, had to face severe criticism for the post against AKG, , who was de facto Leader of the Opposition in the first Lok Sabha.
Making the announcement, Dr. Isaac said AKG was a revolutionary who raged like a flaming fire in the forefront of the revolt giving equal importance to Indian independence and the resurrection of the oppressed.
“We can read only with thrill the memories of Suseela Gopalan in her article ‘Companion, Husband, Comrade and Leader’, about AKG, who fought against the atrocities committed by the police in his native place with determination, ignoring his debilitating physical condition, and succeeded. When he was reminded of his health condition at the time of declaring fast, he retorted that thousand families of workers had been starving for the last 24 days and thousands of them could not even buy salt and his sufferings were not greater than theirs. The message about such a revolutionary and about his times should be imparted to posterity on the strength of experiences and historical lessons,” said Dr. Isaac.
