THRISSUR: When PA Kennedy and Princy, a communist couple and admirers of Cuban revolutionary Fidel Castro, named their second son ‘Fidel Castro’, opposing sounds emerged from relatives as well as from the Church. But without denouncing the ardent revolutionary spirit, the couple, who regularly goes to church, gave the name ‘Fidel’ to their son.
“I was with the CPM for 25 long years and was a fan of Castro. Fidel was born 11 years after the birth of our first child,” says Kennedy, who is not active in politics due to health issues. Fidel’s pet name is ‘Chimbu’.
“My relatives and friends asked me to change my son’s name. I refused to do so. I pacified them saying, “Fidel Castro is a Catholic name,” Kennedy remembers.
Chimbu inquired about Fidel Castro to his father when his name roused respect and curiosity among others. Now he is also a strong fan of the Cuban revolutionary.
Kennedy, who is working in the Kuttanallor Service Cooperative Bank, says Chimbu is showing leadership qualities at school. “He is interested in leading students’ activities in the school. So the teachers give special consideration to him,” says Kennedy. “I have a library with a collection of Left literature. Fidel is showing an inclination towards the Left ideology. My elder son Kelvin is also a strong CPM follower,” he says.