K for Kingmaker, K for Karunakaran

At the peak of his powers, not even a leaf moved in the corridors of Congress offices without his seal of approval. Kannoth Karunakaran, iconic Congress leader and four-time Chief Minister of Kerala, was born on this day.

Karunakaran and his infectious smile; Image Source: Mala

Kerala, termed God's own country, was not always the heavenly abode it is today. A major contribution to the infrastructural development of Kerala was none other than Kannoth Karunakaran, adored by people and revered by his contemporaries.

As Shashi Tharoor remarks about him in an article written in his memory, "while Kerala politics has had many leaders, it has only known one “Leader”. The word evoked – and still evokes – the memory of just one man."

Born to a record keeper in the Malabar district of Kerala, he was a talented child from the very beginning. He flourished academically but also had expertise in swimming, painting, football, and volleyball. Neither academics nor extra-curriculars were his callings- at the height of the Independence movement in Kerela, Kannoth was roped in by the charm of an unfettered life.

At just 19 years of age, he lent a hand to the flood relief camps of 1937. One thing led to another and he enlisted himself as a member of the Indian National Congress. Gandhi's message of wearing indigenous cloth resonated with him and he too, switched to Khadi and became an advocate of the Gandhian political program.

His penchant for painting came in handy to him later during his rise in the Indian National Trade Union Congress; he helped paint walls with political slogans and utilised his creative expertise for the creation of campaigns that resonated with the common man.

Panampilly Govinda Menon, another popular figure, saw his dedication to the cause and took him under his wings. Kannoth became Menon's most loyal follower and this status was accompanied by his rise to the higher echelons of the INTUC.

Gradually, his influence spread beyond the INTUC and he became a common feature in the Kerela Congress, becoming the Thrissur District Congress Committee President, and then a member of the Cochin Legislative Assembly twice before Kerala was formed.

In his 30s and 40s. he suffered many setbacks until the 1965 Kerala Legislative Assembly Elections. He was given a ticket to contest from Thrissur Mala's constituency which was considered to be a Communist stronghold. Having come up short in previous elections, the odds were against him.

To the disbelief of many, he edged out the Left candidate by 3000 votes and ended their domination. Instead, he made it his throne- he won from the constituency in seven successive elections: 1967, 1970, 1977, 1980, 1982, 1987, and 1991.

Even when anti-Congress sentiment was at its zenith in the country, he led Congress to a victory in Kerala's state elections. The euphoria of the victory ended before it could even begin. Details of the Rajan case emerged and he had to tender his resignation.

He assumed the seat of the Chief Minister three more times- a short term from December 1981 to March 1982, from May 1982 to May 1987, and finally from June 1991 to May 1995. Kannoth was also the brains behind the United Democratic Front in Kerala.

The downward spiral began in 1992 when Kannoth was embroiled in a life-threatening accident. In his absence, chaos ensued in the state and within Congress. After 1995, he was effectively a politician bygone. Kannoth spent the last few years of his life battling respiratory problems before succumbing to them in 2010, aged 92; however, needless to say, he had breathed life in INC's ambitions in Kerala numerous times all on his own.