DEATH OF K KARUNAKARAN – END OF AN ERA

On the afternoon of 23rd December 2010, K Karunakaran, the former chief Minister of Kerala and one of the most visible Congress leaders of all times of the state, passed away. He was 93 years old and lived a life full of actions and events, political or otherwise. At an average, when a Malayali man lives about 73 years, Karunakaran outlived him by 20 long years! And that tells the story of endurance and longevity. His self-confidence, even when was down, used to be very high and probably that enabled him to live longer, not to speak of the marvels of modern medicine and healthcare, the best of which was available to him at all times.

Reams of newsprint and gigabytes of media space had been taken to describe his life and times. Thus, it would be out of place to write about it. However as a blogger from Kerala, it would definitely be improper of me not to register the impact of K Karunakaran on the Malayali and to some extent, the Indian.

As a chief minister, his contributions to the development of Kerala were the highest. Rest of the CMs pale into insignificance, when compared to him. In a state, the political fortunes alternated between the Congress and Communist led Governments, when one government tries to undo the previous government was the highest of priority, his was the times of chief minister-ship where the maximum progressive development of Kerala ever took place. One of the shining examples of his vision has been the Cochin International Airport.

He had a very strong will. Once he took a decision he always worked hard to get it implemented, come what may! With more than one third of India reeling under Maoist violence now, Keralites should everlastingly be grateful to him for nipping the naxalite menace from the state right in the bud when it erupted some 40 years back, as Kerala was the very first state of India to get attracted to the ism of it. Some of the treatments meted out to the naxal guys had been very harsh indeed. He personally had to bear the brunt of it in the form of ‘Rajan’ episode. But he took that responsibility on himself and never moved away from his focus of eradicating extreme political movements such as Maoism/Naxalism from the state.

Three women had played significant role in his life. First, of course, was his dear wife Kalyanikutty Amma, who though always lived the life in the background, looked after him so well, knowing his every mood and need. She passed away some 18 years back and the death had a major impact on him. The second was Mrs. Indira Gandhi, whom he revered and followed to the word T. Madam Indira Gandhi also returned the feelings abundantly on him and as much as he stood by her, she reciprocated enough to ensure that every move of him had her weight behind it. Mrs. Gandhi’s death shook Karunakaran and he was never the same person after it. The third woman was his daughter Padmaja. For close to 20 years, she looked him after, at the cost of her family life, and it is another matter that she developed very high political ambitions during the time.

He did have a hand in national politics too. On the installation of the very inexperienced Rajiv Gandhi as India’s Prime Minister, soon upon his mother’s gory death by assassination, Karunakaran played a significant role. He was also one of the decision makers in the selection of Narsing Rao, who by then was practically on political sanyas, as Prime Minister of India in 1991. He was the mover to make Mrs. Sonia Gandhi as the numero uno in the Congress Party hierarchy. All these individuals had remembered his contribution but however, were vary of his antics from time to time.

He followed the principle of looking after those who depended on him very well. In this, for he followed his deity Bhagwan ‘Guruvayoorappan’ on whose abode he always reached by the first day of every Malayalam month, wherever he was. The God looked after his disciple Karunakaran and Karunakaran looked after his disciples and dependents. No wonder much early in his life, he got addressed by everyone as ‘LEADER’ and the word stuck him for good. He was truly leader to all.

A proverb says; ‘one should stop singing at the peak of his voice’. This is something he forgot to follow. The last 10 years of his life did not have anything much to write home about. He simply loitered. Everyone, including the ones he picked up and developed, tried to distance from him. He was blinded by his paternal love for his children, Murali & Padmaja, and played many a political game to bring them to the forefront, while it is a mute question whether they deserved it at all. He fought with Sonia Gandhi, strayed out of the Congress Party, only to return to it later as a prodigal son. Actually his only flaw was that he though he could play the games over and over. He didn’t see the changing times. He did not know how to retire gracefully.

His funeral procession from Trivandrun to Trichur had seen people braving the cold night for long hours, waiting at the roadside to see the last glimpse of his body. There had only been two similar instances in the past, that being the death of former Communist Chief Minister Nayanar and the death of Panakkad Shihab Thangal, the head of Muslim League. It is indeed a matter of his greatness that in spite of losing popularity at the last stage of his life, he still had the respect of majority of the denizens of the state which got displayed in their act of laying the last respect to his departed soul.

With the death of Karunakaran, a political era, that almost spanned a century, ended.

So, what is in store for the Mallus now?

Let the times tell!