KOZHIKODE: One of the videos that have gone viral this Lok Sabha election campaign is that of LDF candidate K K Shailaja being welcomed to the Maliyekkal family with a song, composed in the traditional Mappilapattu style.
Shailaja is not the first CPM candidate to have started a campaign from that particular house in Thalassery. For decades, from the era of Pattiam Gopalan to more recent campaigns, prominent CPM figures have kickstarted their electoral journeys from the Maliyekkal house. This deep-rooted connection finds its origins in a tale of camaraderie. While contesting from Thalassery, former chief minister E K Nayanar had quipped that he needed only the votes from the Maliyakkal family to win the election. The family shares a special bond with the communist party in Malabar, serving as a historical backdrop to the region’s political landscape.
Formerly staunch Congress loyalists, the Maliyekkal family shifted their allegiance when T C Pookkutty, a family member, forged friendships with active communist party workers in Kerala. Among Pookkutty’s circle were iconic leaders such as A K Gopalan (AKG), Pattiam Gopalan and C H Kanaran, whose influence gradually transformed the Maliyakkal household into a bastion of communist activism. Reflecting on that transformative period, Amina Hamid, a Maliyekkal family member and former Thalassery municipality chairperson, told TNIE, “Pookkutti Karanavar is the one who turned us into communists. Since then, regardless of gender, we have dedicated ourselves fervently to the communist cause. Since childhood, we have actively participated in CPM election campaigns. Even now, as a 68-year-old widow, I remain committed to serving my party.”
From the 18-year-old Muhammad Hani Sajid to the 82-year-old Salhi Maliyekkal, the family boasts over 200 voters. “Our family members reunite during elections. It is like a vacation for us. Family members from different countries come to our ancestral home to rally for their chosen candidates,” Amina said.
The Maliyekkal family is also famous for creating songs for the CPM. “My elder brother, Shabu Maliyekkal, was a hardcore SFI activist during his time at Brennen College. He is the one who started writing songs for party campaigns. During the Thalassery riot, EMS held an all-party meeting in front of our house. As part of the peace campaign, all the members of our family travelled around in a van singing a peace song. For this election too, we are composing songs in support of Shailaja teacher,” Amina pointed out.
Some family members do hold strong ties with the Congress and the Indian Union Muslim League.
Aisha Mammotty, 81, remains loyal to the Congress because of her husband’s family legacy.
“Whatever my politics, I have some personal connections with some communist party members” Aisha said.