In his tribute to veteran Communist K.R. Gouri Amma, CPI (M) leader and Lok Sabha Member of Parliament (MP) from Alappuzha A.M. Ariff called the late leader a synonym of sacrifice and endurance.
Remembering her as a true legend, Mr. Ariff said that Gouri’s life was one of sacrifice. “No other politician in the history of Kerala politics had sacrificed so much in life. Ms. Gouri who entered politics at a very young age suffered a lot, including at the hands of the police, due to her affiliation with the Communist party. She helped people irrespective of their religious and political affiliations,” the Alappuzha MP said.
Mr. Ariff maintained a good relationship with the Communist firebrand especially during the former’s evolution as a politician. When Gouri was expelled from the CPI (M) in 1994 and formed the Janathipathya Samrakshana Samithi (JSS), Mr. Ariff stood with the CPI (M).
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In the 2006 Assembly polls, the CPI (M) pitted Mr. Ariff against Gouri in the Aroor Constituency. Much to the surprise of everyone, Ms. Gouri, who had won nine of the previous 10 electoral battles from Aroor, was defeated in the poll. Mr. Ariff, once a protege of Gouri, got the nickname ‘giant killer’.
Mr. Ariff said that despite becoming a ‘villain’ by defeating her, he used to visit Gouri at her house at Chathanad in Alappuzha Municipality.