T K; Communist leader of the masses

Thiruvananthapuram, Apr 21 (UNI) Kerala has lost yet another CPI(M) veteran in the death of Mr T K Ramakrishnan who had always been in the forefront in the fights for the rights of the working class and the downtrodden.

A former State Minister Mr Ramakrishnan, who had been ailing for quite some time, died at a private hospital in Kochi today.

Born in 1922 to Kunjaman and Etti at Eroor in Ernakulam district, he had his primary education at the Eroor Sanskrit school. He later went to the Thrippunithura Sanskrit college and studied 'Kavyabhooshan.' Even during his college days he was active in politics and was popular as an orator and also a good campaigner. He was also involved in the freedom movement and was dismissed from the college for brining out a pamphlet supporting the ''Quit India'' movement.

T K Ramakrishnan, popularly known as T K in party circles, started his political career with the students movement. He took the initiative in forming a unit of the Students Federation in the Sanskrit college.

He joined the Communist party in 1942 and when the party split in 1964, became a member of the Communist Party of India (Marxist) and became its Ernakulam district secretary. Later, he became the Kottayam District secretary of the party from 1970 to 1978.

He was imprisoned during the Indo-China war and during the Emergency.

T K entered electoral politics in 1954 through the Panchayat elections. He was elected president of Thrippunithura Panchayat in 1954. He contested the Assembly elections from Thrippunithura in 1954 but was defeated.

Later he represented Thripunithura in the Assembly in 1957, 1965, 1977 and 1980. In 1970, after being defeated in Thrippunithura, he shifted his constituency to Kottayam and got elected in 1987, 1991 and 1996.

He was the Home Minister in 1980, Cultural Affairs Minister in 1987 and Fisheries Minister in 1996. He was also the Opposition Leader in the state Assembly during 1977-1980, Left Democatic Front (LDF) Convenor in 1987.

T K has also served the party in various capacities like deputy leader of the CPI(M) Legislature Party, secretary of Kerala Karshaka Sanghom, All India Kisan Sabha joint secretary and the party's state secretariat and central committee member for many years. He was made a special invitee to the party's Central Committee During the 18th party Congress after his health deteriorated.

T K has also written a drama ''Deshadrohikal'' and a novel ''Kallile theepporikal''.

His wife Gowri passed away last year and they have three daughters and a son.

UNI PN1827