KOCHI: When Mariam Alexander Baby was elected general secretary of the CPM at the 24th party congress in Madurai, a wave of joy swept through a house in Thrikkakara’s Pipeline Road. This was the same residence where the newly elected leader had visited for lunch just a week earlier.
The house owner, N K Vasudevan, wore a calm smile. “Everything that has happened is just right and no one is more deserving of the post than my friend and fellow comrade,” he emphasised.
An unusual spark was visible in Vasudevan’s eyes as he recounted the old days when he, along with Kodiyeri Balakrishnan, M A Baby, T M Thomas Isaac, and others marched shoulder to shoulder during protests, waving red flags.
“He [Baby] is a leader who rose from the grassroots, a refined cadre, a jack of all trades, and a true asset for the party,” said Vasudevan. His leadership and organisational skills, and comprehensive knowledge will undoubtedly strengthen the party at the national level, he added.
Recalling their days together, Vasudevan said, “We were among the founding members of the Students’ Federation of India (SFI), formed by merging the state units of the Kerala Students’ Federation. Isaac and I were classmates at Maharaja’s College and led student movements from Ernakulam, while Baby, G Sudhakaran, and M Vijayakumar were based in Thiruvananthapuram.
But we often met to strategise and organise. During the Emergency, we were all part of protests. Kodiyeri was arrested in Kannur, Baby and 25 others were arrested in Thiruvananthapuram. I was arrested and granted conditional bail after a week, only to be rearrested. I was severely tortured. In Kodiyeri’s absence, during the time, I served as acting state secretary of the SFI, he said.
“In those days of imprisonment and torture, Baby even contracted chicken pox and had to be moved to an isolated cell. Eventually, we were released after lawyers such as Varkala Balakrishnan appealed in court, arguing that we were all students. Baby is one of those who suffered for people’s rights,” Vasudevan told TNIE.
He also highlighted the new CPM chief’s connection with the arts, music, literature, and sports.
Speaking of Baby’s passion for sports, especially football and badminton, Vasudevan said, “Once, he came to Ernakulam to pay tributes to late actor N F Varghese. This was during the 2002 FIFA World Cup. As the ceremony in Aluva was delayed, he visited my house in Thrikkakara, and after lunch we sat down and watched a match, despite his packed schedule.”
Baby is a regular at arts and literature festivals, particularly those hosted by Malayali associations in Delhi, Vasudevan said.
“Whenever he visits my home, we never discuss politics, but stick to reminiscing about our old days. I am nervous talking politics with a leader who has served on the party politburo for so long,” he added.