19th December 2023 is the 23rd death anniversary of Com. Suseela Gopalan, former Kerala Minister, M.P. and CPI(M) leader, who was very close to the P and T trade union movement. She was the life partner of Com.A.K.Gopalan, inspiring mass leader, Opposition Leader in Parliament for a long period and PBM, CPI(M).

Com. Suseela Gopalan, even before she married legendary CPI(M)leader Com. A.K.Gopalan, was in the Communist

party. She was a real companion to Com. AKG both as his wife and in the Party. She was the Founder President of All India Democratic Womens’ Association (AIDWA), which now has grown in to a strong mass movement of women. She has been elected to the Kerala Assembly and was a Minister in the LDF government. She was in the Parliament for two terms and took up the issues of the workers and the people effectively.

While she was at Delhi as Member of Parliament, I had the occasion to meet her several times to take up cases of central Government employees and specially that of the P and T workers. She took these cases sincerely and effectively. She took us to meet Minister more than once. Just a telephone call from her was sufficient for me to meet Minister Ram Vilas Paswan, though there will be dozens in the queue waiting to meet him.

She was Chairperson of the Kerala Circle P and T Co-ordinating Committee for some time and gave clear guidance and direction to the workers.

She inaugurated a dharna in front of Sanchar Bhawan in Delhi in 1992 restricted area despite threat of arrest. Just like Com.AKG, she dared the police to arrest her. She left only after the dharna was over to ensure that we are not arrested after she leaves. She was available to the workers at any time of crisis. Whenever I visited her official M.P. quarters at 20, Janpath, Delhi, she never allowed me to leave without offering a cup of tea. She was always a source of strength to all of us.

During my stay at Calicut in Kerala, many times when Coms. AKG and Suseela came to the city, I used to go to the Railway Station to receive them and take them to the residence of well known Advocate P.K.Kunhirama Poduval, where they stayed. They addressed many P and T union meetings and conferences.

On her 23rd death anniversary, I respectfully pay homage to Com. Suseela Gopalan and remember the great services she had done to the common people and specially to the P and T workers.

A bunch of Red Roses to the inspiring memory of Com. Suseela Gopalan !

V A N Namboodiri 18.12.2023