Communists want to preserve Kerala leader’s house

KANNUR - Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPI-M) activists here are trying to save from demolition - and preserve - a house at Peralassery near here which once belonged to legendary communist leader A.K. Gopalan, popularly known as AKG.

Speaking to IANS, Kannur district CPI-M secretary P. Sasi said: “This house is more than 45 years old and was built by AKG himself and he stayed there with his mother.”

“Since Sunday the home was being pulled down and many felt that this should be a protected monument and hence we have started talks with the present owner of the building for getting possession of the house,” said Sasi.

The two-storeyed house stands in a plot of less than 10 cents and is owned by Sadasivan, son of AKG’s sister. He works in the Middle East.

“We have begun talks with him to see that in the interest of all it should be preserved. No final settlement has been reached and our discussion with him will continue. The demolition has been stopped for now,” said Sasi.

The demolition work started Sunday but was stopped Monday, he said.

The family members of AKG are tight-lipped on the developments but Sasi and his party men are confident that they will be able to get the possession of the house.

AKG was a five-time Lok Sabha member. The state party headquarters and the party office in Delhi have also been named after him.

He died in 1977 at the age of 72 and his wife Susheela Gopalan was the industry minister here in the cabinet of E.K. Nayanar from 2001-06. AKG’s son-in-law P. Karunakaran is the present CPI-M Lok Sabha member from Kasargod.