THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The burial of senior Congress leader and former MP Thalekkunnil Basheer, who died in the early hours of Friday, will take place on Saturday. Basheer’s mortal remains will be kept at the KPCC headquarters at 11am and at DCC office at noon on Saturday for the public to pay homage. The body will then be taken to his ancestral home at Thalekkunnil. The burial will be held at Perumala Muslim Jama’at Khabarsthan near Venjarammoodu at 5pm.
Basheer, 79, a popular minority leader of the Congress, died around 4.20am on Friday at his house at Vembayam. He had retired from active politics in 2016 due to ill health. Born in 1945 at Thalekkunnu near Venjarammoodu, Basheer started his political life with KSU, as its leader in Mar Ivanios College and Government Law College, from where he did graduation. In 1969, he was elected the first chairman of Kerala University Union. After completing LLB and enrolling as a lawyer, Basheer entered politics and won from Kazhakkoottam assembly constituency in 1977. However, he vacated the seat a few months later for Congress leader A K Antony.
Basheer was elected to the Rajya Sabha in 1977 at age 32, making him the youngest Raajya Sabha MP from Kerala. He was re-elected to the upper house of the Parliament in 1979. He won the Lok Sabha elections in 1984 and 1989 from Chirayinkeezhu.
A staunch loyalist of Antony, Basheer served as president of Thiruvananthapuram DCC from 1980 to 1989. He held interim charge as KPCC head for a few months in 2011 and served as chairman of Trivandrum Development Authority and Malayalam Mission. He authored several books, including Velicham Kooduthal Velicham, Mandelayude Naattil, Olavum Theeravum, Rajeev Gandhi: Ormmakku and Valarunna India: Thalarunna Keralam. His wife Suhara, late actor Prem Nazir’s sister, predeceased him. Basheer is survived by son Nishanth and daughter Nishana.
Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan said Basheer firmly believed in the ideals of Congress and always endorsed public interest above narrow gains. Antony said Basheer was a model leader for Congress workers. “The party has lost a leader who could take up any challenge during crises,” he said. KPCC president K Sudhakaran, Opposition leader V D Satheesan, former CM Oommen Chandy, ex-opposition leader Ramesh Chennithala and ex-KPCC chief V M Sudheeran also condoled his demise.