KOCHI: The morning of July 26, 1969, Kerala woke up to shocking news: an MLA had been shot in the early hours in his own constituency.
It was the killing of CPM leader K Kunjali, MLA of Nilambur. He was attacked while in office.
Kunjali, hailing from Kondotty in Malappuram district, came to Nilambur at a young age. Raised by a single mother, he had also served briefly in the military during World War II.
In the 1940s, Nilambur’s hilly terrain was dominated by large landowners who controlled vast rubber plantations. Workers in these estates faced severe exploitation. Kunjali was deputed to lead resistance against oppressive landlords.
“Kunjali was a chivalrous and daring leader, almost like one you see in films. That made him beloved by many, but also brought him trouble,” says Political observer Abdul Basheer.
Kunjali was elected to the assembly in 1965, when the Nilambur constituency was formed. After the house was dissolved, he was again elected in 1967. Meanwhile, shifting allegiances of plantation workers triggered clashes tensions between between INTUC and AITUC.
On July 25, rumours began circulating about a possible assassination attempt on Kunjali. “He camped at the CPM office that night,” says Abdul. “In the wee hours next morning, as he descended the steps to leave, a torchlight flashed at his face. As he asked, ‘Who is it?, a gunshot struck his chest.”
Kunjali succumbed to his injuries two days later at Kozhikode Medical College. “In his dying declaration, he accused then INTUC leader and former minister Aryadan Mohammed of shooting him,” Abdul notes.
“Congress workers, including Aryadan, were jailed for a while as the case was under trial. But the allegations were eventually dismissed due to lack of evidence.”
Kunjali remains the only CPM leader to have won from Nilambur. He is also believed to be the first sitting MLA in India to be shot dead — an unparalleled blood blot in Kerala’s political history.