Nair Service Society (NSS) has termed the demise of K. Karunakaran as a irreparable loss to the nation and the people. G. Sukumaran Nair, secretary, said his was a personality which was irreplaceable both as a politician and administrator. His demise is a loss to the politics and democracy in the country.
There was no other leader who had carved a niche for himself in millions of minds through his love for the people. “The Nair Service Society had a special place in the minds of Karunakaran and we join others in their grief at this hour of profound sorrow,” he said.
Tower of strength
M M Jacob: The veteran Congress (I) leader and former governor of Meghalaya M.M. Jacob said K Karunanakran was a tower of strength for all Congressmen for the past more than half a century when he built up the party ands the political coalition from scratch. Even during his temporary absence from active Congress politics, the Congress workers had look up on him as the only source of strength, he said.
As a leader he commanded respect from Congressmen at the national level, Mr. Jacob said and added that destiny had chosen him to play a crucial role at a time when the nation was passing through one of its worst crises in the death of Rajiv Gandhi. It was Karunakaran who was selected by the AICC to interview all elected members of Parliament during a two day procedure. I still remember the dramatic moments in the Central hall of the Parliament when he announced the name of Narsimha Rao,” Mr Jacob said.
He also remembered the worst days after Emergency when he, as KPCC(I) secretary traveled travelled with Karunakaran who was the “Leader”, all over Kerala after the Congress split, to build the party all over again.
Our Kannur correspondent reports:
Communist Party of India (Marxist) general secretary Prakash Karat has condoled the death senior Congress leaderand former Chief Minister K. Karunakaran.
'It is a sad day', he told reporters in Kannur on Thursday in his reaction to the demise of the senior Congress leader. Mr. Karat, who was here to address a party rally, said that Mr. Karunakaran's political career included his involvement in the freedom struggle. His contributions would always be remembered, the CPI(M) leader said.
The party meet began after observing one-minute silence as a reverence to the deceased leader.
