06 Monday Jun 2016
Posted in General, Obituary, Tributes
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Mohammed Ali, the greatest sportsman and heavy weight Champion is no more. He passed away at the age of 74 at Phoenix, US. He fought not only in the ring but also outside for great causes. He refused to fight for the US in its attack against Vietnam and was imprisoned by the US imperialism. He was a spokesperson for the suppressed and the downtrodden.
Respectful homage to Mohammed Ali!
20 Friday May 2016
Posted in Obituary, Tributes
It was a privilege for me to attend the Keluettan memorial meeting held at AKG Bhawan, Calicut today on the 25th death anniversary of the freedom fighter and veteran leader of CPI(M).
The meeting was presided over by Dr.J.Prasad and was addressed by Coms. Bhaskaran, K.T.Kunhikkannan, K.E.N.Kunhahammad, K.K.C.Pillai and myself. All mentioned about the great sacrifices of the leader and his simple life.
20 Friday May 2016
Posted in Obituary, Tributes
Today, 20th May 2016, is the 25th death anniversary of Com.M.K.Kelu,(affectionately called Keluettan), who was a veteran leader of the CPI(M) and toiling masses. His entire life was dedicated for the service of the people. He is one of the leaders of the old generation, who sacrificed their all fighting for the freedom of the country and the for the welfare of the people. Keluettan had to face severe attacks, including physical attacks, both from the British Government and the Congress government. Several times he was put in jail for years together. He continued as a bachelor and his life was dedicated to party. He was the District Secretary of the CPI(M), Calicut for many years and also functioned as MLA.
Since I came to Calicut in 1964 on transfer, I had the privilege of getting advice and guidance from him in the trade union activities till he passed away.
Red Salute to Com. Keluettan on his 25th death anniversary!
18 Wednesday May 2016
Posted in BSNLEU, Obituary, Tributes
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Com.Moni Bose was a life time Comrade to me. We worked together against the anti-worker policies of the government as also the revisionist forces in the union. How many Conferences we have attended together, how many tours we have conducted together! However, it was mainly after the 1991 Bhopal AIC of E.III Union and victory for the progressive forces that we became closer. For 5-6 years, we were together in Dada Ghosh Bhawan, working in the CHQ, first myself as President and he as General Secretary and later vice-versa. The hardships, the sacrifices, the maximum out put we have to do are beyond description.
Com.Moni Bose left us on 19th May 2010. 19th May 2016 is the sixth death anniversary of the great leader.
Red Salute to Com. Moni Bose!
30 Saturday Apr 2016
Posted in Obituary, Tributes
Com. N.O.Anandan, veteran P&T Trade Union leader of Kerala, passed away on 29th April 2016 at his residence in Kannur. He was 90.
Com. Anandan Master, as he was respectfully called, was a pillar of strength for the P&T movement. He led the 1960 CGE Strike, 1968 strike and many struggles along with late Com. Janu Master in Kannur, where he was working as Post Master. His elder brother late Com. Narayanan Master was also a strong unionist.
I had close connection with Com. Anandan Master, during the period I worked in Kannur during 1959-64 and later. During earlier two tours to Kannur I could meet him at his home and discuss about past history of the movement and the present struggles. However, I was not able to meet him last time when I visited Kannur on 24-03-2016 in connection with verification campaign, due to paucity of time. His daughter Com. Latha is working in BSNL at Kannur and is an active worker of BSNLEU.
His body has been donated to Pariyaram Medical College as per his wish.
My Heartfelt condolences to the bereaved family, Comrades and friends!
Red Salute to Com. N.O.Anandan Master!
06 Wednesday Apr 2016
Posted in Obituary, Tributes
6th April 2016 is the 26th death anniversary of Comrade B.T.Ranadive, the doyen of Indian trade Union movement. Under his leadership, the working class fought many battles.A true revolutionary in all respects, he was respected by the entire trade unions, irrespective of affiliations.
He was closely connected with the P and T Trade union movement. More than forty years till his death in 1990, he guided and gave advice to the Central government employees movement.
Personally, I had the great fortune of getting his advice and guidance in many of the struggles that the P and T workers had organised.
We pay respectful homage to the memory of Com. B.T.Ranadive! Red Salute Comrade!
22 Tuesday Mar 2016
Posted in Obituary, Tributes, Uncategorized
23rd March 2016 is the 85th martyrdom day of Shahid Bhagat Singh, Rajguru and Sukhdev who were hanged on 23rd March 1931 at their young age. Bhagat Singh was only 24 years old at that time. They were hanged by the British on the charges conspiracy and terrorism against the British. But they were never terrorists. They were fighting for the freedom of the country. They were the brave sons of India.
We pay respectful homage to these martyrs who sacrificed every thing for the freedom of the nation!
Red Salute to these eternal revolutionaries!
22 Tuesday Mar 2016
Posted in Obituary, Tributes
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22nd March 2016 is the 39th death anniversary of the great working class leader Com. A.K.Gopalan, affectionately known in the three letters AKG. He was a freedom fighter, organiser of umpteen struggles for the kisan, workers and other toiling masses. He was a member of the Politburo since the formation of CPI(M). He was jailed several times and in was in jail even on 15th August 1947, on the day India got Independence. He hoisted the National Flag in the jail on that day. Com.AKG was the leader of the opposition since the first parliament and fought for the workers and people inside and outside the Parliament. He was closely connected with the P and T trade union movement. Whether it is the 1960 strike or the 1968 strike or many local struggles, his intervention ensured results for the working class. I cherish those many occasions when he guided and advised us and supported us in the struggles.
On his death anniversary we pay our respectful homage to Com.AKG.
Red Salute to Com. AKG!
19 Saturday Mar 2016
Posted in Obituary, Tributes
It is 18 years since Com. E.M.S., the first Chief Minister of Kerala, architect of Kerala development, world renown Communist left us forever. He passed away on 19th March 1998. There is no area of intellectual and organisational activity in day-to-day-life, which he has not touched and marked his presence. He was a ‘ human computer’ in a sense, as stated by a political leader.
My respectful homage to the great communist and philosopher, Com. EMS Namboodiripad! Red Salute Com. EMS!
04 Friday Mar 2016
Posted in Obituary, Tributes, P&T TU History
Com.N.P.Padmanabhan, the Architect of Kerala P&T Movement
5th March 2016 is the 22nd death anniversary of Com. N.P.Padmanabhan, former Secretary, NFPTE and the Convener of the powerful Co-ordinating Committee of P and T Unions, Kerala, for a tumultuous period of more than 10 years. Meetings will be held in all centres in Kerala to pay homage to this great leader.
Com. Padmanabhan, who was respectfully called Pappettan, even by his elders, was a charismatic and revolutionary leader.
Com.Padmanabhan was born in 1926 in Eramala Pachayat in Badagara Taluk of Malabar district. Shri Gopala Kurup and Smt. Ammalu Amma were his parents. After passing matriculation he joined Brennen College, Tellicherry and passed FA.
Padmanabhan was appointed as a Postal Clerk at Calicut in 1945. He became very active in the union without delay. Along with Coms.T.M.Janardhanan, N.O.Anandan Master, P.Narayanan, K.Bhaskaran Nair and others, Com.N.P.Padmanabhan led the Central Government employees strike of 1960 July in the Malabar area which was part of the Madras P and T Circle. He was arrested from the Panoor Post Office, where he was employed at that time and was punished with 6 months rigorous imprisonment for participation in the strike.
In the Kerala P and T Circle union formation Conference held at Trivandrum in 1961, Com.N.P. was elected as Asst. Circle Secretary of Postal Class III Union and in 1966 Kollam Conference as the Circle Secretary. Next year at the Palakkad Conference, he was elected as the Convener of the Circle P and T Co-ordinating Committee.
Many militant struggles were organized by the Circle P&T Co-ordinating Committee under the leadership of Com. N.P.Padmanabhan. Local struggles were organized on the important issues of the workers. These included the ‘Food Agitation’, Strike against police verification, for regularization of EDA/RTP/Casual employees, against police atrocities, Kanjirappally and Baliapattam Telephones agitation etc. etc.
The Historical One Day Strike of 19th September 1968 for Minimum Wage and grant of Dearness Allowance according to cost of living index became a battle ground between the Central Government and Communist Government in Kerala. Central Government wanted all state governments to crush the strike of the Central Government employees with an iron fist using the drastic Essential Service Maintenance Act (ESMA). But Kerala Government led by Com. E.M.S.Namboodiripad bluntly refused to implement the ESMA against the striking employees. Enraged, the Central Government was proposing to dismiss the state government. However, this did not happen. But the Indira Gandhi Government at Centre saw to that maximum victimisation was imposed on the employees of Kerala. Hundreds of criminal cases were filed, thousands of Rule-14 Charge Sheets issued, 290 workers terminated and hundreds of employees suspended. Even in 1960 strike, such victimisation did not take place.
The situation was tense. All the Circle and district leaders were either under suspension or termination. To face this brutal attack was not easy. The P and T Co-Ordinating Committee under the leadership of Com. N.P.Padmanabhan organised sustained and continuous struggles against victimisation. The union organized relief fund to pay salary to the terminated employees. It took about three years to take back all the terminated employees and to reinstate the suspended. During the entire period the terminated employees were given relief. Even if full salary could not be paid in the last few months, the relief continued till their reinstatement as per the judgment of the Kerala High Court. However Com. Padmanabhan who was dismissed from service was not reinstated despite High Court order to that effect. It was only after the Janata Government came in the centre that he was reinstated.
The P and T House, the office of P and T Unions at Trivandrum, became the centre point of many unions to get advice and support for their struggles. It was a period of militant struggles. Many such struggles including the strike of CRPF in Trivandrum which continued for months was fully supported and guided by Com. Pappettan and made it a success by getting most of the striking personnel reinstated.
There used to be a joke at that time that it is ‘Three Padmanabhans’ who controlled Trivandrum – Com.N.P.Padmanabhan, Convener of P and T Co-ordinating Committee, Com.E.Padmanabhan, General Secretary of the mighty Kerala N.G.O.Union and Shri Padmanabhan, the deity of the famous Padmanabhaswamy temple. The joke was an indication of the high influence that Com.Pappettan was having in Trivandrum.
N.P.Padmanabhan was a powerful speaker and mingled freely with everybody. His strategy to face the post-strike situation and victimization of large number of employees was appreciated by all.
Com. Pappettan was elected as the Secretary of NFPTE in 1978 and shifted to New Delhi. He continued in that position till 1981.
As the Secretary of NFPTE, he, along with Coms.K.G.Bose, N.J.Iyer, K.Adinarayana and other leaders continued the inner fight in the organization against the reformist policy of Com.O.P.Gupta, Secretary General NFPTE and inspired thousands of workers all over the country for adopting a progressive policy in the organization. His health started deteriorating due to the hard work and strain and went back home to Kannur in the late 1980s. He continued his activities from there.
On 5th March 1994, Com. N.P.Padmanabhan left us forever. He was ailing for some time. He is survived by his wife Smt. Sasikala, son M.C.Sathyraj (Retired from Postal Accounts) daughter M.C.Subhashini, employed in Department of Posts and married to Com. Janardhanan, who is working in BSNL. N.P.Balagopalan, brother of Pappettan worked in Deshabhimani paper during the 1940s.
In respectful memory of Com.Padmanabhan, the Conference Hall in P and T House, Trivandrum is named as “Com.N.P.Padmanabhan Hall.”
Since 1958, when I joined the P and T and got transfer to Cannanore(Kannur) from Kottayam, Com. Pappettan had been my leader and guide. It was under his indomitable leadership that we all went on in the Glorious Five Days strike of 1960. I had the opportunity to work with him at Trivandrum (Thiruvananthapuram) during my tenure as Circle Secretary.
Com. Padmanabhan was a real leader in all respects. The entire P and T movement and especially Kerala comrades lost a revolutionary leader in his early death.
His body was cremated in the Payyambalam Beach, Kannur, where a memorial is constructed for him among the memorials of leaders of the working class like Coms. A.K.Gopalan, E.K.Nayanar and others. Whenever I get an opportunity to visit Kannur, I make it a point to visit the memorial and pay my respectful homage.
Red Salute to Com. N.P.Padmanabhan, the Revolutionary leader! His memory will always be with us.
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