Prayar Gopalakrishnan, symbol of political honesty, no more
THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Senior Congress leader and former Travancore Devaswom Board president Prayar Gopalakrishnan, 72, died at a private hospital at Vattappara here on Saturday. He was on his way to the capital city when he developed uneasiness and was taken to a nearby hospital but he breathed his last. Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan and a horde of other leaders mourned Prayar.
Prayar is survived by wife S Sudharma, children Dr Rani Krishna, Dr Veni Krishna and Vishnu G Krishnan. The funeral will be held later. He represented the Chadayamangalam assembly constituency in 2001 and he had held the post of MILMA chairman for long. When the CPM took over the control of almost all major cooperative societies, Prayar ensured that MILMA stayed put with the Congress. He courted controversy when he took a negative stand against women’s entry in Sabarimala. This saw him taking up cudgels with CM Pinarayi that led to his ouster from the TDB president post by the government through an ordinance.
A defiant Prayar went to the Supreme Court against the LDF government’s stand on the Sabarimala women’s entry issue. This had also landed the then Congress state leadership in a spot. However, Prayar did not work against his party despite the BJP’s attempt to poach him. He had then told reporters that he would die as a Congressman. In his condolence message, Pinarayi recalled Prayar’s long innings at the helm of MILMA and TDB. Opposition Leader V D Satheesan said Prayar had upheld political integrity and honesty throughout his life. His demise is a big loss to the party, Satheesan said.
State Congress president K Sudhakaran said Prayar had held the tricolour flag close to his heart and kept the Congress sentiments in his mind till his death. Senior Congress leader Ramesh Chennithala recalled that when the Youth Congress and KSU were creating storms in state politics, Prayar was in the forefront. Prayar was known for his humility and politeness in public life, Chennithala added.