Kodiyeri Balakrishnan, who passed away on Saturday, was one of the pillars of the CPM and his contributions in building the party at the grassroots level will always be remembered. I was closely associated with Kodiyeri when I served as a state committee member of the Students’ Federation of India (SFI) before the declaration of the Emergency in 1975. Kodiyeri had assumed office as SFI state secretary in 1973. Immediately after the declaration of the Emergency, Kodiyeri was arrested and he spent the entire duration of the Emergency in jail. The SFI had launched a massive signature campaign on college campuses seeking the release of leaders of CPM and SFI and many of our workers were arrested.
After release from jail, Kodiyeri launched a statewide campaign which helped the SFI expose the atrocities committed during the Emergency He travelled across the state and interacted with students. With the campaign, he rose in stature as the most popular student leader in the state. Kodiyeri continued to be a popular face of the CPM throughout his life. He was a brilliant parliamentarian, a great orator and a versatile leader. He played a key role in strengthening the party at the grassroots level.
He had clarity of thought and organising skills. I had the opportunity to witness his brilliance as a parliamentarian. He was undoubtedly one of the best home ministers of the state. His death is an irreparable loss to the CPM. He was very affectionate towards party workers. He used to patiently hear their grievances and help them. He was always approachable and caring about his colleagues. Another quality was his clarity of vision. He used to give us clear instructions and guide us.
He spread the warmth of affection and used to enquire about our health and personal issues whenever we met. As party secretary, he played a key role in strengthening the party network across the state. He played a key role in ensuring the victory of the party in the two assembly elections in 2016 and 2021. Though his health condition was deteriorating, he actively participated in the election campaign for Thrikkakara byelection. His loss leaves a deep void.
(The author is a former MP)