Today, 22nd March 2011, is the 31st death anniversary of Comrade A.K.Gopalan, working class leader and the first opposition group leader in the Indian Parliament. He died on 22nd March 1977 after a long illness.

Com. AKG, as he is popularly called was an indomitable fighter of the working class and toiling masses. His entire life was full of struggles for the downtrodden people. He was arrested and put in jail many times both by the British as well as the Indian rulers. Com.AKG who was in the forefront of the Independence struggle was in jail even on 15th August 1947, on the day India got Independence, even though almost all the freedom fighters who were in jail were released.

Comrade AKG could not tolerate injustice. Wherever injustice was being done he jumped in to the struggle against the same. There are any number of such struggles which AKG led and succeeded. It was the three great leaders, Coms. P.Krishna Pillai, E.M.S.Namboodiripad and AKG who built and strengthened the Communist Party in Kerala.

I had the opportunity to meet Comrade AKG several times and seek his guidance. During many of his visits to Calicut along with his wife, Com. Susheela Gopalan, who herself was a senior leader, Member of Parliament and later Minister in Kerala, I had the fortune to receive them at the Railway Station and to bring them to the house where they were to stay. One such time, AKG was ill and for many weeks he was not able to speak due to illness. After reaching Calicut, two senior doctors, Dr.CBC Warrier and Dr. Venugopal checked him and stated that he was better. In fact AKG was able to speak bit by bit. That day the Confederation of Central Government Employees, of which I was the convener, had arranged a meeting in the Mananchira maidan in connection with an All India strike next day. I very meekly asked the doctors whether I can request AKG to address the strike meeting. AKG immediately agreed and the doctors consented provided he would not speak more than five minutes. AKG agreed to the condition and it was decided that he will address the meeting.

The news that Com.AKG will address the meeting in the evening of the day spread like wildfire. Irrespective of party connection, people in thousands gathered at the maidan to hear Com.AKG, his first speech after several weeks. The meeting started in time and after welcome etc. Com.AKG was requested to address. He started speaking and the audience sat in pin-drop silence to hear their beloved leader. The stipulated period of five minutes were over, but he continued speaking. Then Com.Suseela Gopalan, who was also in the stage, reminded him the doctors’ advice. He laughed away the request, openly telling the public that he knew when to stop. All were very much worried. Then Com. M.K.Kelu (Keluettan), one of the senior most leader of the CPI(M) who was also present, openly requested him to stop his speech considering his health. The audience also in one voice supported the request. Then and then only, AKG stopped his speech, thanked all and sat down. Such was his love for the people who even in the face of severe illness could not stop interacting with them.

Each comrade who has come in touch with AKG will have many such incidents to remember. He was very close to all and was loved by all.

It was his forceful speech along with that of Comrade Nath Pai and other opposition leaders in the Parliament against the victimisation of Central Government employees who participated in the historic July 1960 strike that compelled the Jawaharlal Nehru government to take back the thousands of workers who were dismissed or suspended.

I pay my respectful homage to the memory of this great revolutionary and working class leader on his 34th death anniversary!