October 11 - Remembering the great leader.
Com.K.Anandan Nambiar
“Death is the common end of all. The gap will be filled up soon”.
Com.K.Anandan Nambiar
“Death is the common end of all. The gap will be filled up soon”.
Sunday, November 1, 2009
Monday, September 28, 2009
Surjeet-Prakash karat
Remembering Comrade Surjeet
Article From People's Democracy, August 02, 2009
Prakash Karat
IT is a year since Comrade Harkishan Singh Surjeet died on August 1, 2008. With this came to an end an eventful life that made a big contribution to the Communist movement in the country.
Article From People's Democracy, August 02, 2009
Prakash Karat
IT is a year since Comrade Harkishan Singh Surjeet died on August 1, 2008. With this came to an end an eventful life that made a big contribution to the Communist movement in the country.
Friday, September 18, 2009
May Day-MK Pandhe
MEMORABLE VISIT TO CHICAGO MARTYRS HERITAGE
- Dr.M.K. Pandhe ,President CITU
It was a great occasion filled with revolutionary emotions, when I got the opportunity to visit Chicago to pay homage to the valiant memory of the heroic martyrs of Chicago on 6 July 2008 who scarified their life in 1886. They fought for implementation of eight hour day but brutal suppression of their legitimate struggle which evoked strong protests all over the world. The International Labour Congress held in Paris on 14 July 1889 while observing hundredth Anniversary of French Revolution gave a call to observe May 1 as the day of International Solidarity of the working class which led the foundation of May Day all over the world. The Second International which met in Geneva in 1892 endorsed the call.
- Dr.M.K. Pandhe ,President CITU
It was a great occasion filled with revolutionary emotions, when I got the opportunity to visit Chicago to pay homage to the valiant memory of the heroic martyrs of Chicago on 6 July 2008 who scarified their life in 1886. They fought for implementation of eight hour day but brutal suppression of their legitimate struggle which evoked strong protests all over the world. The International Labour Congress held in Paris on 14 July 1889 while observing hundredth Anniversary of French Revolution gave a call to observe May 1 as the day of International Solidarity of the working class which led the foundation of May Day all over the world. The Second International which met in Geneva in 1892 endorsed the call.
Tuesday, September 15, 2009
Dr.MK Pandhe about SK Dhar in FIRE,Nov 08.
COMRADE S.K. DHAR – A Valiant Fighter for Railwaymen
- M.K. Pandhe
It was a matter of great shock to us when Comrade S.K. Dhar passed away on 15th September 2008 in All India Institute of Medical Sciences.
- M.K. Pandhe
It was a matter of great shock to us when Comrade S.K. Dhar passed away on 15th September 2008 in All India Institute of Medical Sciences.
Tuesday, August 4, 2009
Com. Subhash Chakraborthy
Senior CPI(M) leader Subhas Chakraborty passes away
He was a dedicated trade-unionist, experienced administrator, lover of sports and culture: Governor
Subhas Chakrabarty
Kolkata: Senior Communist Party of India (Marxist) leader and West Bengal’s Minister for Transport, Sport and Youth Services Subhas Chakraborty died at a private hospital here on Monday morning.
Mr. Chakraborty, who was admitted to hospital on July 27 for a lung infection, was not responding to treatment. He was 67 and is survived by his wife and son.
A tearful Biman Bose, Secretary of the West Bengal State Committee of the CPI(M), announced to the crowds who had gathered outside the hospital: “Our dear comrade Subhas Chakraborty has left us. He died at 11.35 a.m.”
Several people in the gathering broke down on hearing the news. Amid the palpable grief, slogans of “long live his memory” erupted as his body was taken from the hospital.
People crowded around the hearse along the route to ‘Peace Heaven,’ where his body was kept for the day.
Events cancelled
A 24-hour state mourning was declared and all state programmes and events were cancelled. All government offices, including Writer’s Building, were closed after 1 p.m. The CPI(M) party flag was flown at half-mast at the party office.
“He left our midst at a very young age,” said veteran Marxist leader Jyoti Basu, who was shocked on hearing of his death.
“I am devastated”
Condolence messages and tributes flowed in through the day. “I am devastated at the death of my colleague, Subhas Chakraborty. We worked together for many years in the party as well as in government. I couldn’t imagine that a symbol of such boundless energy would pass away so soon,” said West Bengal Chief Minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee.
“Mass leader”
In a statement, Governor Gopalkrishna Gandhi said: “A dedicated trade-unionist, experienced administrator and lover of sports and culture, Subhas Chakraborty will be best remembered as a mass leader. I offer my tribute to his life of public service.”
Recalling incidents from their political life together, Mr. Bose later said: “We have been receiving condolence messages from various district committees and trade unions through the day. We can clearly see the close ties he could form with people.”
Mamata condoles
“I knew him for many years,” said Railway Minister and Trinamool Congress chief Mamata Banerjee when she went to Peace Heaven to pay her respects. “Whatever our political differences may have been, I’m grieved at his death. Bengal has lost an important political figure.”
Senior CPI(M) leader Amitava Nandi, famed footballer P.K. Banerjee, Trinamool Congress leaders Partha Chatterjee and Mukul Roy were among those visited the hospital.
He was a dedicated trade-unionist, experienced administrator, lover of sports and culture: Governor
Subhas Chakrabarty
Kolkata: Senior Communist Party of India (Marxist) leader and West Bengal’s Minister for Transport, Sport and Youth Services Subhas Chakraborty died at a private hospital here on Monday morning.
Mr. Chakraborty, who was admitted to hospital on July 27 for a lung infection, was not responding to treatment. He was 67 and is survived by his wife and son.
A tearful Biman Bose, Secretary of the West Bengal State Committee of the CPI(M), announced to the crowds who had gathered outside the hospital: “Our dear comrade Subhas Chakraborty has left us. He died at 11.35 a.m.”
Several people in the gathering broke down on hearing the news. Amid the palpable grief, slogans of “long live his memory” erupted as his body was taken from the hospital.
People crowded around the hearse along the route to ‘Peace Heaven,’ where his body was kept for the day.
Events cancelled
A 24-hour state mourning was declared and all state programmes and events were cancelled. All government offices, including Writer’s Building, were closed after 1 p.m. The CPI(M) party flag was flown at half-mast at the party office.
“He left our midst at a very young age,” said veteran Marxist leader Jyoti Basu, who was shocked on hearing of his death.
“I am devastated”
Condolence messages and tributes flowed in through the day. “I am devastated at the death of my colleague, Subhas Chakraborty. We worked together for many years in the party as well as in government. I couldn’t imagine that a symbol of such boundless energy would pass away so soon,” said West Bengal Chief Minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee.
“Mass leader”
In a statement, Governor Gopalkrishna Gandhi said: “A dedicated trade-unionist, experienced administrator and lover of sports and culture, Subhas Chakraborty will be best remembered as a mass leader. I offer my tribute to his life of public service.”
Recalling incidents from their political life together, Mr. Bose later said: “We have been receiving condolence messages from various district committees and trade unions through the day. We can clearly see the close ties he could form with people.”
Mamata condoles
“I knew him for many years,” said Railway Minister and Trinamool Congress chief Mamata Banerjee when she went to Peace Heaven to pay her respects. “Whatever our political differences may have been, I’m grieved at his death. Bengal has lost an important political figure.”
Senior CPI(M) leader Amitava Nandi, famed footballer P.K. Banerjee, Trinamool Congress leaders Partha Chatterjee and Mukul Roy were among those visited the hospital.
Monday, April 27, 2009
Com. Ahalya Ranganekar
April 19, 2009
She was 87 and left behind two sons and other members of her family.
Ahilya Rangnekar, the younger sister of B.T. Ranadive was born in 1922 in Pune in a highly educated and progressive family and herself was also a brilliant student. She joined political movement and freedom struggle when she was barely out of her teens. She defied the British authorities even in jail and hoisted the Indian Tri-Colour flag on the jail wall.
Commrade Ahilyatai Is No More,
Her Memory Will Live For EverShe was 87 and left behind two sons and other members of her family.
Ahilya Rangnekar, the younger sister of B.T. Ranadive was born in 1922 in Pune in a highly educated and progressive family and herself was also a brilliant student. She joined political movement and freedom struggle when she was barely out of her teens. She defied the British authorities even in jail and hoisted the Indian Tri-Colour flag on the jail wall.
Saturday, April 18, 2009
Com. E Balanandan
Comrade Eswary Balanandan
- M.M. Lawrence
With the demise of Comrade E. Balanandan on January 19 2009, the working class of India has lost a veteran trade union leader and staunch Marxist. He died at the age of 84 after protracted illness.
From a very modest beginning as assistant at his uncle's toddy shop, E. Balanandan – affectionately known as Saami to one and all - rose to high echelons of supreme party forum - the Polit Bureau of the Communist party of India (Marxist), from which vantage point he got involved in directing the Party for quarter of a century. For almost a decade he directed struggles of working class as President of CITU (Centre of Indian Trade Unions) and charted a firm action plan against capitalist globalisation and aneoliberalisation policies.
This is how Comrade E. Balanandan describes of himself in his autobiographical work – Nadannutheertha Vazhikal – (The Path Trodden):
"If put in linguistic cliché of a document writer, I was born on July 24 1924 as eldest descendent to Unnikkali Eswary of Baruapattil House situated west of Kattakkal Canal in Kannimelcherry of Saktikulangara , Kollam and to Kochuthoppil Kunjiraman Channar."
Of the house and social status of his family at birth, this is how he describes in his book.
"...In short, ours was a large family consisting of several members. The home, where I was born can be said to be large vis a vis those times, consisting of five or six rooms having Kerala style patio and a front-end structure – reconstructed with tiled roof. During those times, there hardly was any tiled house near to my home. By the time I was born, the house and surrounding area of about an acre of land was under mortgage – consequent to adverse financial tide in my uncle’s toddy contract."
Obviously, the family's dwindling financial situation turned him to be a school drop out. From uncle's toddy shop he quietly walked away and eventually in 1941, he moved to Aluva to work in Aluminium Company, where he rose to become a very skilled worker in running, maintaining and troubleshooting electrical installations of the Company. His expertise received prompt recognition from the Canadian manager J.W. Cameroon, who endeared him. however, when his trade union activities eventually spanned to nearby factories at Aluva industrial belt and amongst the workers of Company's contractors executing installation work, the management became quite unease.
Organising trade unions during those times was far more difficult. There was no statutory machinery for settlement of industrial disputes. However, All Travancore Trade Union Congress (ATTUC) led by T.V. Thomas and R. Sugathan was functioning with headquarters at Alleppey. This organisation and its leaders extended all help to the budding trade unionists of Aluva. These leaders also got the Government of Travancore to accept the demand for an informal tripartite dispute resolution forum. In retrospect, it looks as though the higher echelons of bureaucracy were somewhat progressive and less corrupt during those times.
At one stage ATTUC leaders brought the unjust dismissal of Balanandan to the notice of the then Inspector General of Police of Travancore Parthasarathy Iyyangar. Eventually Iyyangar got the Canadian Manger Cameroon to agree for reinstatement of the dismissed employee.
It proved to be too testing for Balanandan to divide his time between factory work and trade union, which was expanding to mass protest demanding responsible government – in other words, to end monarchy in Travancore. The growing acceptance of Balanandan's leadership by workers and general public left him with almost no time for factory work. The final formal dismissal thus ended his career as a factory worker.
Balanandan formally became a communist by joining the Party in 1943 though much earlier than this event, at one stage, the management of the factory mistakenly assumed that he was already a communist and was about to organise an attack. This episode took the manager to heels jumping through the window fearing possible attack!
During those times Aluva region was the underground headquarters of the Communist party in Kerala. Balanandan ensured effective functioning of the illegal machinery of the Party of Aluva region. He played important role in providing safe haven to the Party's leaders such as P. Krishna Pillai, E.M. Sankaran Namboodiripad, K.C. George and N.C. Sekar so that they might be able to do the Party's work without being noticed by enemies and police. He had to spend years in underground and in jail. Torture while in police custody used to be the norm during those times. Balanandan did not get disheartened by such difficult life. On the other hand such adverses emboldened him to face far more severe challenges.
He also became active in AITUC (All-India Trade Union Congress). As part of the trade union work he was always active in political campaigns. When Communist Party of India was voted in 1957 for the first time to rule the State it was a clear victory for the working class. In the context of agitation by disgruntled elements including clergy and other communal forces the task of supporting the Government through political campaigns became all the more important.
Balanandan jokingly used to recall an incidence during those times. After campaign meeting along with some others he was stranded at Aluva at odd hours after private bus timings during night. He was President of AITUC's Ernakulam District Committee at that time. He along with three others were counting coins to see whether they had enough to pay for a fast passenger long distance bus. Then suddenly Saami was addressed demandingly "one anna please". He was aghast. It was the familiar figure – formerly that person was working as driver and later due to force of circumstance he was deranged and became a vegabond wearing torn clothes and adopting ugly demeanour. Initially Balanandan excused at not being able to meet his demand. On second thought Balananadn found the solution to meet the immediate travel cost.
When the person, a known figure was about to leave them, Balanandan called back asking equally demandingly "Narayanan, four annas please". Promptly former driver counted four annas and gave to Balanandan. Such was the informal love and affection that Balanandan maintained with one and all.
In 1964, when the Communist Party split, he joined to form the CPI (M). In course of time he rose to become a member of the Party's Polit Bureau. Likewise, in 1970 when Centre of Indian Trade Unions (CITU) was formed he assumed responsibility for Kerala and became the Secretary of Kerala State Committee of CITU. Later, he rose to become its national leader and President of CITU. Balanandan led several PSU trade unions and for a few terms was also President of the Electricity Employees' Federation of India. Practical experience of having worked with employees having diverse skills turned him to become an expert on areas such as Power, Telecom, Pharmaceuticals and Heavy Industries.
In 1978 Balanandan directly led the strike of electricity employees of Kerala. This strike received national attention in the context of repressive measures adopted by the coalition government in Kerala led by an alliance of Congress Party and CPI. The standard response of the Government towards strike was to unleash violence by police and paramilitary forces against the striking employees. The Government's policy was not to negotiate unless the strike was unconditionally withdrawn. Another tenet was to apply the principle of dies non – i.e., no work; no pay, which the Government declared as nonnegotiable.
Balanandan used to remind workers that they belong to working class. Whatever be the problem workers face in other factories or in any industry, such problem must be taken as common problem of all workers. He took this tenet into practice by involving several trade unions which supported the strike of electricity employees. With CITU and several mass organisations giving sustained support for the strike, the Government finally was forced to condescend and started negotiation while the strike was continuing. The strike which began at midnight on May 4 prolonged for 51 days. It was withdrawn through negotiation and pursuant to honourable settlement. This strike instilled in general new confidence amongst workers to fight for the rights. Another development was CPI's anti labour attitude got severe reprimand at its Bhatinda Congress. Eventually the untenable alliance between the Congress and the CPI got weakened. Final formal break-up of the alliance came soon thereafter.
Balanadan did a lot of underground work to fight emergency regime of 1975-77. Something that everyone remembers to be remarkable in Balanandan is that he took pains to educate the workers to work for social change. At every occasion he drove the point to its logical conclusion viz. that the workers are organised into trade unions not merely to fight for more wage and bonus. He always impressed that workers alone are capable and have the responsibility to bring about social change. Workers primary role is to become the ruling class. When CITU Conference in Chennai concluded, the session ended with passionate call from Balanandan urging the comrades to take up the leadership role to fight for social change. The delegates were so impressed with the clarion call from Balanandan many were found elated to appreciatingly express their feeling.
Though a school dropout, his real education probably began the day he left the school. Besides his proven technical expertise related to engineering, he leaves one to wonder at the amazing felicity with which he handles English language. It was indeed refreshing experience to listen to him speak English at public gatherings as President of CITU. Of course the sounds of English language and its peculiar intonations may not be there. Even Dr. Manmohan Singh while delivering a speech recently in the United States jokingly reassured the audience that he was indeed speaking English. We Indians speaking diverse languages are accustomed to use English in such flexible manner that the substance and not the form of what one say is paramount. In this respect Balanandan excel in conveying hard to understand theoretical and practical refinements of capitalism and socialism in such simple terms that everyone understands.
He became a legislator in the Kerala Assembly in 1967 and till 1977 he represented the Vadakkekera constituency in Ernakulam district. In 1980, he became a Lok Sabha member and then moved on to the upper house in 1988. He remained a Rajya Sabha MP till 2000. He used to take parliamentary work in right earnest by giving focus to raise problems concerning industrial and agricultural workers.
As representative of CITU, CPI (M), and member of Parliamentary delegation Balanandan visited several countries. They include Soviet Union, Vietnam, United Nations in New York, North Korea, Algeria, China and Cuba.
Though he grew to become a great leader he mingled freely with rank and file. To all and sundry he was just Saami. He carried no air of superciliousness. He was affable and humane. These qualities endeared him to all. Heated ideological differences did not deter him to mingle endearingly with all. The love and affection of people was evident from large number of people who attended his funeral.
Balanadan is survived by his wife Sarojini, one son, three daughters and eight grand children. Sarojini is member of CPI (M)'s Kerala State Committee. The sons and daughters are well off in life. Balanadan had had, in retrospect, happy and contended family life.
- M.M. Lawrence
With the demise of Comrade E. Balanandan on January 19 2009, the working class of India has lost a veteran trade union leader and staunch Marxist. He died at the age of 84 after protracted illness.
From a very modest beginning as assistant at his uncle's toddy shop, E. Balanandan – affectionately known as Saami to one and all - rose to high echelons of supreme party forum - the Polit Bureau of the Communist party of India (Marxist), from which vantage point he got involved in directing the Party for quarter of a century. For almost a decade he directed struggles of working class as President of CITU (Centre of Indian Trade Unions) and charted a firm action plan against capitalist globalisation and aneoliberalisation policies.
This is how Comrade E. Balanandan describes of himself in his autobiographical work – Nadannutheertha Vazhikal – (The Path Trodden):
"If put in linguistic cliché of a document writer, I was born on July 24 1924 as eldest descendent to Unnikkali Eswary of Baruapattil House situated west of Kattakkal Canal in Kannimelcherry of Saktikulangara , Kollam and to Kochuthoppil Kunjiraman Channar."
Of the house and social status of his family at birth, this is how he describes in his book.
"...In short, ours was a large family consisting of several members. The home, where I was born can be said to be large vis a vis those times, consisting of five or six rooms having Kerala style patio and a front-end structure – reconstructed with tiled roof. During those times, there hardly was any tiled house near to my home. By the time I was born, the house and surrounding area of about an acre of land was under mortgage – consequent to adverse financial tide in my uncle’s toddy contract."
Obviously, the family's dwindling financial situation turned him to be a school drop out. From uncle's toddy shop he quietly walked away and eventually in 1941, he moved to Aluva to work in Aluminium Company, where he rose to become a very skilled worker in running, maintaining and troubleshooting electrical installations of the Company. His expertise received prompt recognition from the Canadian manager J.W. Cameroon, who endeared him. however, when his trade union activities eventually spanned to nearby factories at Aluva industrial belt and amongst the workers of Company's contractors executing installation work, the management became quite unease.
Organising trade unions during those times was far more difficult. There was no statutory machinery for settlement of industrial disputes. However, All Travancore Trade Union Congress (ATTUC) led by T.V. Thomas and R. Sugathan was functioning with headquarters at Alleppey. This organisation and its leaders extended all help to the budding trade unionists of Aluva. These leaders also got the Government of Travancore to accept the demand for an informal tripartite dispute resolution forum. In retrospect, it looks as though the higher echelons of bureaucracy were somewhat progressive and less corrupt during those times.
At one stage ATTUC leaders brought the unjust dismissal of Balanandan to the notice of the then Inspector General of Police of Travancore Parthasarathy Iyyangar. Eventually Iyyangar got the Canadian Manger Cameroon to agree for reinstatement of the dismissed employee.
It proved to be too testing for Balanandan to divide his time between factory work and trade union, which was expanding to mass protest demanding responsible government – in other words, to end monarchy in Travancore. The growing acceptance of Balanandan's leadership by workers and general public left him with almost no time for factory work. The final formal dismissal thus ended his career as a factory worker.
Balanandan formally became a communist by joining the Party in 1943 though much earlier than this event, at one stage, the management of the factory mistakenly assumed that he was already a communist and was about to organise an attack. This episode took the manager to heels jumping through the window fearing possible attack!
During those times Aluva region was the underground headquarters of the Communist party in Kerala. Balanandan ensured effective functioning of the illegal machinery of the Party of Aluva region. He played important role in providing safe haven to the Party's leaders such as P. Krishna Pillai, E.M. Sankaran Namboodiripad, K.C. George and N.C. Sekar so that they might be able to do the Party's work without being noticed by enemies and police. He had to spend years in underground and in jail. Torture while in police custody used to be the norm during those times. Balanandan did not get disheartened by such difficult life. On the other hand such adverses emboldened him to face far more severe challenges.
He also became active in AITUC (All-India Trade Union Congress). As part of the trade union work he was always active in political campaigns. When Communist Party of India was voted in 1957 for the first time to rule the State it was a clear victory for the working class. In the context of agitation by disgruntled elements including clergy and other communal forces the task of supporting the Government through political campaigns became all the more important.
Balanandan jokingly used to recall an incidence during those times. After campaign meeting along with some others he was stranded at Aluva at odd hours after private bus timings during night. He was President of AITUC's Ernakulam District Committee at that time. He along with three others were counting coins to see whether they had enough to pay for a fast passenger long distance bus. Then suddenly Saami was addressed demandingly "one anna please". He was aghast. It was the familiar figure – formerly that person was working as driver and later due to force of circumstance he was deranged and became a vegabond wearing torn clothes and adopting ugly demeanour. Initially Balanandan excused at not being able to meet his demand. On second thought Balananadn found the solution to meet the immediate travel cost.
When the person, a known figure was about to leave them, Balanandan called back asking equally demandingly "Narayanan, four annas please". Promptly former driver counted four annas and gave to Balanandan. Such was the informal love and affection that Balanandan maintained with one and all.
In 1964, when the Communist Party split, he joined to form the CPI (M). In course of time he rose to become a member of the Party's Polit Bureau. Likewise, in 1970 when Centre of Indian Trade Unions (CITU) was formed he assumed responsibility for Kerala and became the Secretary of Kerala State Committee of CITU. Later, he rose to become its national leader and President of CITU. Balanandan led several PSU trade unions and for a few terms was also President of the Electricity Employees' Federation of India. Practical experience of having worked with employees having diverse skills turned him to become an expert on areas such as Power, Telecom, Pharmaceuticals and Heavy Industries.
In 1978 Balanandan directly led the strike of electricity employees of Kerala. This strike received national attention in the context of repressive measures adopted by the coalition government in Kerala led by an alliance of Congress Party and CPI. The standard response of the Government towards strike was to unleash violence by police and paramilitary forces against the striking employees. The Government's policy was not to negotiate unless the strike was unconditionally withdrawn. Another tenet was to apply the principle of dies non – i.e., no work; no pay, which the Government declared as nonnegotiable.
Balanandan used to remind workers that they belong to working class. Whatever be the problem workers face in other factories or in any industry, such problem must be taken as common problem of all workers. He took this tenet into practice by involving several trade unions which supported the strike of electricity employees. With CITU and several mass organisations giving sustained support for the strike, the Government finally was forced to condescend and started negotiation while the strike was continuing. The strike which began at midnight on May 4 prolonged for 51 days. It was withdrawn through negotiation and pursuant to honourable settlement. This strike instilled in general new confidence amongst workers to fight for the rights. Another development was CPI's anti labour attitude got severe reprimand at its Bhatinda Congress. Eventually the untenable alliance between the Congress and the CPI got weakened. Final formal break-up of the alliance came soon thereafter.
Balanadan did a lot of underground work to fight emergency regime of 1975-77. Something that everyone remembers to be remarkable in Balanandan is that he took pains to educate the workers to work for social change. At every occasion he drove the point to its logical conclusion viz. that the workers are organised into trade unions not merely to fight for more wage and bonus. He always impressed that workers alone are capable and have the responsibility to bring about social change. Workers primary role is to become the ruling class. When CITU Conference in Chennai concluded, the session ended with passionate call from Balanandan urging the comrades to take up the leadership role to fight for social change. The delegates were so impressed with the clarion call from Balanandan many were found elated to appreciatingly express their feeling.
Though a school dropout, his real education probably began the day he left the school. Besides his proven technical expertise related to engineering, he leaves one to wonder at the amazing felicity with which he handles English language. It was indeed refreshing experience to listen to him speak English at public gatherings as President of CITU. Of course the sounds of English language and its peculiar intonations may not be there. Even Dr. Manmohan Singh while delivering a speech recently in the United States jokingly reassured the audience that he was indeed speaking English. We Indians speaking diverse languages are accustomed to use English in such flexible manner that the substance and not the form of what one say is paramount. In this respect Balanandan excel in conveying hard to understand theoretical and practical refinements of capitalism and socialism in such simple terms that everyone understands.
He became a legislator in the Kerala Assembly in 1967 and till 1977 he represented the Vadakkekera constituency in Ernakulam district. In 1980, he became a Lok Sabha member and then moved on to the upper house in 1988. He remained a Rajya Sabha MP till 2000. He used to take parliamentary work in right earnest by giving focus to raise problems concerning industrial and agricultural workers.
As representative of CITU, CPI (M), and member of Parliamentary delegation Balanandan visited several countries. They include Soviet Union, Vietnam, United Nations in New York, North Korea, Algeria, China and Cuba.
Though he grew to become a great leader he mingled freely with rank and file. To all and sundry he was just Saami. He carried no air of superciliousness. He was affable and humane. These qualities endeared him to all. Heated ideological differences did not deter him to mingle endearingly with all. The love and affection of people was evident from large number of people who attended his funeral.
Balanadan is survived by his wife Sarojini, one son, three daughters and eight grand children. Sarojini is member of CPI (M)'s Kerala State Committee. The sons and daughters are well off in life. Balanadan had had, in retrospect, happy and contended family life.
Sunday, February 15, 2009
Com. E Balanandan
Comrade E Balanandan
Comrade E Balanandan, a veteran trade union leader, a stalwart of the working class movement of the country and former President of CITU, passed away on 19th January 2009 at Kochi. He was 84 and was suffering from a prolonged illness.
Comrade E Balanandan, a veteran trade union leader, a stalwart of the working class movement of the country and former President of CITU, passed away on 19th January 2009 at Kochi. He was 84 and was suffering from a prolonged illness.
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