E. M. S. Namboodiripad
Chief Minister of Kerala | |
---|---|
In office 6 March 1967 – 1 November 1969 | |
Governor | Bhagwan Sahay V. Viswanathan |
Preceded by | President's rule |
Succeeded by | C. Achutha Menon |
In office 5 April 1957 – 31 July 1959 | |
Governor | P.S. Rao (acting)
P. Sundarayya |
Succeeded by | Harkishan Singh Surjeet |
Personal details | |
Born | |
Died | 19 March 1998 Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala, India | (aged 88)
Political party | Communist Party of India (Marxist) (from 1964), Communist Party of India (before 1964), |
Spouse | Arya Antharjanam (1937–1998)[1] |
Children | 4[2] |
Residence | Thiruvananthapuram |
Alma mater | St. Thomas College, Thrissur |
Known for | Co-founder of Communist Party of India (Marxist) |
Website | Government of Kerala |
Elamkulam Manakkal Sankaran Namboodiripad (13 June 1909 – 19 March 1998), popularly known by his initials 'E. M. S.' was an Indian communist politician and theorist, who served as the first
As chief minister, EMS pioneered radical land and educational reforms in Kerala, which helped it become the country's leader in social indicators. It is largely due to his commitment and guidance that the CPI(M), of which he was Politburo member and general secretary for 14 years, has become such a domineering political force, playing a vital role in India's new era of coalition politics.[3]
Early life
Elamkulam Manakkal Sankaran Namboodiripad was born on 13 June 1909, as the fourth son of Parameswaran Namboodiripad and Vishnudatha Antharjanam, at Elamkulam, situated on the banks of Thuthapuzha River, in Perinthalmanna taluk of the present Malappuram district into a prominent Malayali Nambudiri Brahmin family. His two elder brothers died before he was born, and the third brother was intellectually disabled. He lost his father when he was five.
During 1921
Namboodiripad graduated from
Namboodiripad was well known for his stammer.[5] When asked if he always stammered, he would reply, "No, only when I speak."[6]
Socialism
In 1934, he was one of the founders of
He remained committed to
Election to state government
Kerala Assembly Election Results
Election | Year | Party | Constituency | Result |
---|---|---|---|---|
Madras Legislative Assembly
|
1952 | CPI | Kozhikode | Lost |
Kerala Legislative Assembly | 1957 | Nileshwaram | Won | |
1960 | Pattambi | Won | ||
1965 | Pattambi | Won | ||
1967 | CPI(M) | Pattambi | Won | |
1970 | Pattambi | Won | ||
1977 | Alathur | Won |
A
Namboodiripad became the Chief Minister of Kerala for the second time in 1967 as the leader of a seven-party coalition (
Namboodiripad was the Leader of Opposition in the
As the head of ministries in the Kerala State Assembly
E. M. S. has led 2 ministries in Kerala.
Sl no. | Ministry | Date formed | Date dissolved | Remarks |
---|---|---|---|---|
1 | First E. M. S. Namboodiripad ministry
|
5 April 1957 | 31 July 1959 | Dismissed under Article 356 in the aftermath of the so-called Liberation Struggle [19]
|
2 | Second E. M. S. Namboodiripad ministry
|
6 March 1967 | 1 November 1969 | Tendered resignation as a result of internal dissensions and subsequent loss of majority.[20] |
Sino-Indian war and split in the Communist Party
During the 1962
Association with Progressive Movement for Arts and Letters
Namboodiripad,
Death
Despite his age and failing health, Namboodiripad was still active in political and social fields. He actively campaigned during the 1998 general election. Soon after the results were declared, he contracted pneumonia, and was admitted to the Cosmopolitan hospital in Thiruvananthapuram, where he died at 3:40 p.m. (IST) on 19 March 1998, aged 88.[22] This was barely hours after he had dictated two articles for Deshabhimani, a CPI (M) daily, and replies to a few letters.[23]
The state government declared a seven-day mourning. His body was draped in the CPI (M) flag and was taken to AKG Centre in the city where members of his family paid their respects, before it was taken to Durbar Hall and was kept for viewing, where members of the public, and party leaders and workers paid their respects. Thousands of people joined the funeral procession and he was cremated with full state honours in Thycaud electric crematorium in Thiruvananthapuram.[23]
The President of India K. R. Narayanan condoled his death and stated: "A scholar, historian and journalist, he was above all an educator of the people as well as their leader. Unremittingly, for the last several decades, he analysed the socio-political scene from the firm-rootedness of his intellectual position and enriched Indian political thought to his very last days." Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee recalled that Namboodiripad had brought to politics a sense of commitment and purpose and that he was a champion of the cause of the working classes and the downtrodden.[23]
Three more deaths occurred in his family within five years after his death, starting with his daughter-in-law Dr. Yamuna in August 2001, and later followed by his wife Arya Antharjanam in January 2002 and elder son E.M. Sreedharan in November 2002.
Family
EMS was married to Arya Antharjanam and had two sons – E. M. Sreedharan and E. M. Sasi – and two daughters – E. M. Malathy and E. M. Radha. His grandson (Sreedharan's son) Sujith Shankar is an actor.
Writing
He was a writer and author of several literary works and his book on the history of Kerala is notable.[21][24]
In popular culture
In the 2014 film Vasanthathinte Kanal Vazhikalil, Sudheesh reprises the role of Namboodiripad.[25]
See also
References
- ^ "EMS' wife passes away". The Times of India. Retrieved 21 February 2019.
- ^ "E.M. Sreedharan dead". The Hindu. 15 November 2002. Retrieved 6 June 2018.[dead link]
- ^ Singh, Kuldip (1 April 1998). "Obituary: E. M. S. Namboodiripad". The Independent. Retrieved 20 May 2018.
- ^ "Resurrecting the Legend of Vettath Mathai". The New Indian Express. Retrieved 1 August 2019.
- ^ K. M. Tampi (17 May 2001). "A colourful personality fades out from the Kerala scene". The Hindu. Archived from the original on 6 May 2003.
- ^ Smita Mitra and John Mary (14 March 2011). "Streaming Syllables". Outlook India.
- ^ History of Mass Media (PDF). University of Calicut. pp. 15–16. Archived from the original (PDF) on 19 October 2016. Retrieved 11 February 2023.
- ISSN 0007-4810. Archived from the original(PDF) on 11 August 2011. Retrieved 20 September 2011.
The first democratically elected communist-led government in India actually came to power in 1957 in the southwest-Indian state of Kerala. Two years later this government was undemocratically toppled-by the union government and the Congress-I party with Indira Gandhi in the forefront. But the communists were reelected and led several of the following state governments.
- ISBN 978-1-74179-155-6. Retrieved 6 January 2013.
- ^ K.G. Kumar (12 April 2007). "50 years of development". The Hindu. Retrieved 30 August 2013.
- ISBN 978-0-203-96774-4. Retrieved 31 August 2013.
- ISBN 978-81-7024-836-1. Retrieved 18 November 2012.
- ISBN 978-0-275-96151-0. Retrieved 30 August 2013.
- ^ Moynihan, Dangerous Place, 41
- ^ Godbole, Public Accountability and Transparency: The Imperatives of Good Governance, 84.
- ^ "Foreign Relations of the United States, 1955–1957, South Asia, Volume VIII – Office of the Historian". history.state.gov. Retrieved 29 January 2017.
- ^ Nair, Naveen (28 June 2007). "How CIA ousted Left govt in Kerala". IBN Live. Archived from the original on 11 February 2011. Retrieved 15 March 2015.
- ^ Schaffer, Ellsworth Bunker: Global Troubleshooter, Vietnam Hawk, 67
- ^ "Vimochana Samaram". First Ministry. Archived from the original on 14 April 2019. Retrieved 21 February 2019.
- ^ "Kerala chronicles: When a coalition of 7 political parties came together only to fall apart". Live Mint. 19 June 2017. Retrieved 21 February 2019.
- ^ a b BHASKAR, B. R. P. (16 November 2004). "Book Review: Namboodiripad's writings". The Hindu. Retrieved 14 March 2015.
- ^ "E M S Namboodiripad dead". Rediff.com. 19 March 1998. Retrieved 7 November 2018.
- ^ a b c Krishnakumar, R. (4–17 April 1998). "Farewell to EMS". Frontline. Vol. 15, no. 7. Archived from the original on 19 February 2001. Retrieved 30 March 2024.
- India after Gandhi, p 294
- ^ Nagarajan, Saraswathy (13 November 2014). "Ode to a brave patriot". The Hindu.
Further reading
- Bakshi, S. R. (1994), E. M. S. Namboodiripad: The Marxist Leader, New Delhi: Anmol Publisher, ISBN 978-8-1704-1703-3
- P. Govinda Pillai (2007), E. M. S. Namboodiripad (in Malayalam), New Delhi: National Book Trust
- Multiple authors (1998), History Maker: E. M. S. Namboodiripad (1909–1998), Chennai: Frontline
- Chief Ministers, Ministers, and Leaders of Opposition of Kerala (PDF), Thiruvananthapuram: Secratriat of Kerala Legislature, 2018