Congress Leader’s Derogatory Remarks on India’s First Opposition Leader AK Gopalan Widely Condemned

Social media comments by Congress leader VT Balram from Kerala against AK Gopalan, one of the tallest communist leaders in Indian history, have elicited widespread condemnation.

VT Balram, who is the MLA from Thrithala constituency in Palakkad district, described AK Gopalan, popularly known as AKG, as a “child molester” in a Facebook comment. Following heavy criticism of the derogatory remark, Balram issued another post justifying the comment, claiming that before AKG married 22-year old Susheela Gopalan in 1952, he was in love with her for nearly a decade.

Political observers have been quick to point out the absurdity of comparing the pre-independence era with the contemporary era. India’s first Prime Minister Nehru himself had married Kamala Kaul when she was 17.

The 1930s and 1940s were decades when the communists were deeply involved in the freedom struggle, and with the Communist Party facing bans every now and then, many communists had to work underground.

AKG was a frontline freedom fighter, and was a major figure in the social reform movement in Kerala. He had been among those who led the agitations in the 1930s at Kandoth near Payyannoor (in today’s Kannur district) and at Guruvayoor demanding entry for people belonging to the “lower” castes into temples. After having been a member of the All India Congress Committee (AICC) and the Congress Socialist Party, he joined the Communist Party in 1939.

He was mostly in Tamil Nadu and North India from 1940 to 1946. He was sent to Tamil Nadu initially because there was a summons pending against him in Malabar. He worked underground among the Southern Railway workers in Trichinapalli, organising secret meetings and study classes until he was arrested on 24 March 1941. He was sent to the detenu camp in Vellore jail, from where he and a couple of others escaped on 25 September 1941 by boring a hole through the wall of their cell. Since it was unsafe to remain in Kerala, he went to North India, working underground party work in Kanpur. He returned to Malabar when 1946 elections were announced.

“It was during this time that comrade AKG lived at Susheela’s house, in hiding. He was there for nearly three months. Susheela, who was 16 years old then, was a college student,” wrote political commentator Anish Shamsudheen. “The average age of marriage was 15-16 during that time. To know this, Balram only need to ask the grandmothers in his family, at what age they got married.”

Subsequently when AKG was in Coimbatore jail in 1947, Susheela visited him there, and decided to get married after his release from prison. Susheela became a Communist Party member in 1948, and had to attend four colleges to complete her BA as she was expelled from various institutions due to her political work.

She rose to become a two-time member of the Parliament, and was the Industries Minister in the Left Democratic Front ministry of 1996-2001. She got married to AKG in 1952.

AK Gopalan was one of the most popular leaders in Kerala’s history. He became the first Opposition Leader in the Lok Sabha after the elections of 1952. He played a leading role in the struggles for the land rights of the peasants and agricultural workers, and was elected the President of the All India Kisan Sabha in 1951. When the Indian Coffee House of the Indian Coffee Board was sought to be shut down in the 1950s, AKG organised the workers to set up a cooperative society which took over the Coffee House. He became one of the founding Polit Bureau members of the CPI(M) when it was formed in 1964.

Balram’s comments on AKG have come in for heavy criticism.

“The atrocious campaign led by a Congress MLA to insult Comrade AKG, the Commander of the Destitute, is utterly condemnable,” said CPI(M) Kerala Secretary Kodiyeri Balakrishnan. “The Congress had suspended Mani Shankar Aiyar for having described PM and RSS pracharak Narendra Modi as “neech aadmi” (vile man). Rahul Gandhi and AK Antony should clarify their attitude towards the Congress MLA who abused AKG, a freedom fighter and early Congress leader, with the most vile words.”

“AKG was a leader who dedicated his life for the poor, the oppressed and the workers. He played a big role in the freedom struggle. The respect that leaders including Jawaharlal Nehru showed towards AKG is a shining page in Parliament documents,” Kodiyeri said.

The uproar in the social media against Balram’s comments has taken the form of a campaign demanding an apology from the MLA. Many have also demanded action by the Congress leadership against him.

KJ Jacob, Resident editor of Deccan Chronicle, wrote: “You (Balram) should withdraw your remarks and apologise to the people – including Congress members – who love and respect AKG.”

A congress leader in Kerala slanders freedom fighter and social reformer A. K. Gopalan. It is a pity that a party that prides on its heritage hosts such slanderers. #CongressLeaderAbusesFreedomFighter @cpimspeak @SitaramYechury

— Swathy S (@swathys) January 6, 2018