CHAMMINI VASU:

CHAMMINI VASU: (03.03.1918-16.12.1979)

Born at Feroke on 03.03.1918. From the age of 16 onwards active in politics. He was among the 4 party card holders in Feroke. Many times, even after independence he was arrested by police and put in jail.

Some of the comrades decided not to marry and dedicated for full time party work. But later some of them got married after some time. Chammini Vasu, K Padmanabhan etc are in that group.

In 1964 Oct 8,9 & 10, the first district conference of CPI(M) held  at Kozhikode. In that conference Com. EK Nayanar was elected as Kozhikkode District secretary and among 39 district committee members Chammini Vasu is also a member.( K Padmanabhan, MK Kelu, K Chathunni Master,T Ayyappan, N Chandrasekara Kurup, VK Gopalan, VV Dhakshinamurthy, U Kunjiraman ….). In 31 Dec 1964 Com. EK Nayanar along with 9 secretariat members and 6 other comrades were arrested under MISA.  Then Com. N Chadrasekhara Kurup was elected as temporary secretary and Com. VK Gopalan, Com. Chammini Vasu, Com. VV Dhakshina Murthy, Com. THK Varier, Com. PV Sankaran were elected as Secretariat members. 

There was a Tile Factory  at Mooniyur, Parkkadavu owned by Sri Natraj Mudaliar, owner of Calicut Tile at Cheruvannur, Feroke. Most of the workers were from Feroke region.In 1968 Tile Workers Union declared strike, it prolonged for 1 ½ years.While the beginning of strike there was 121 workers, but during the course of strike many employees taken retirement and finally it become 81. Sri Mudaliar during conciliation expressed his willingness to sell the factory to employees. Then the Communist party leaders namely;

Chammini Vasu,  Athekkat Balan Nair, VK Kandakutty, T Balakrishnan, Appukuttan (VCS), Yagnamurthy Namboodirippad, Kuttiyil Appu, & PV Balan Nair,

Decided to take over the Factory and started mobilizing funds.

They registered a Public Limited Company “Janatha Tile Works” Mooniyur, Parakkadavu,In Malappuram District, the first Tile factory owned by the workers.

For getting sufficient shares they run pillor to post. Even Communist party leaders of Malappuram district were against this stating impractical.

1969-70 Company was registered and they applied for 3 lakh load by pledging the company assets. 1971 3 lakh amount was passed by Govt of Kerala. 1 lakh rupees collected from workers share. Initially workers were not getting sufficient wages due to cash crunch.

Slowly the financial position improved and share increased to 8 lakh and able to distribute 56 % bonus.

Later many such companies developed such as Star Tile Works, Kallai, Kozhikkode, Standard Tile Works, Cheruvannur.

These companies improved the living standard of workers.

He was Member and Vice President for Feroke Panchayath for many years. He was director Feroke Service Co Operative bank, Feroke Service Co Operative store, Kozhikkode Town Planning Trust, Feroke Young men’s Library and reading room etc. He was working as Area secretary of CPI(M) Feroke Area Committee, District Committee member of Karshakasangam etc.

Many leaders stayed in our house during underground in freedom struggle.

Initially our house was in the middle of Feroke Town, where the preethy complex is now available. The pootheri  Nair family who was uncrowned kings at that time had a dispute with my father and took away the land. Later my father shifted the residence to Ambalangadi.

He died on 16.12.1979 due to cardiac arrest.

RED SALUTE to my great father who sacrificed his entire life for the betterment of working class.