A. K. Gopalan

Ayillyath Kuttiari Gopalan Nambiar (1 October 1904 – 22 March 1977), popularly known as A. K. Gopalan or AKG, was an Indian communist politician. He was one of sixteen Communist Party of India members elected to the first Lok Sabha in 1952, and later became one of the founding members of the Communist Party of India (Marxist).

Early life and education

Ayillyath Kuttiari Gopalan Nambiar was born on 1 October 1904 in Peralasseri, Kannur District of Northern Kerala and educated in Tellichery. He was educated at Basel Evangelical Mission Parsi High School, Thalassery and at Government Brennen College, Thalassery. By the time he became a teacher, India's independence movement was becoming energised by Mahatma Gandhi. Gopalan took part in the Khilafat Movement which prompted a marked change in his outlook, transforming him into a dedicated full-time social and political worker. He was also involved in Malabar revolution. During this time, he removed the suffix to his name (Nambiar) that suggested caste status.

Indian National Congress

In 1927 he joined the Indian National Congress and began playing an active role in the Khadi Movement and the upliftment of Harijans. He was arrested for participating in the salt satyagraha in 1930.

Kandoth assault

thumb|left|A.K. Gopalan (left)

While in prison he got acquainted with communism and became a member of the Congress Socialist Party and later the Communist Party of India when it finally took shape in Kerala in 1939. He led the hunger march from Malabar region to Madras in 1936 and the Malabar Jatha in support of the movement for responsible government in Travancore. The strongest caste system was in the North Kerala. The lower caste people were not allowed to walk on a public road in Payyannur. At this time A.K. Gopalan and the Keralites led the procession through the public road in front of the Kandoth Thiyya caste Temple (Palliyara) near Payyanur, Kannur. The lower castes were not allowed by the then Thiyyar chiefs to walk on a public road in Kandoth temple. "This is a time when Harijans are being denied the freedom to travel on public roads." The reason was that the nearby temple would be defiled. To promote the Guruvayoor Satyagraha. Women came carrying heavy wooden sticks and beat them. All the people present in Ghosha were beaten by these chiefs. But A.K.G Standing where Gopalan and Keralian were, he faced the barrage. Others fled. A.K.G told the accompanying women to run to safety. The attack lasted for half an hour. The "Kandoth short stick" was infamous in the press of the day. The six-judge bench of Supreme Court with a majority of four upheld his detention. But the bench struck down Section 14 of this act, which provided that the grounds for detention should not be given to detenus.

Political career

{| class="wikitable"

!Election

!Constituency

!Result

!Majority

|1952

|Kannur

|87,029

|1957

| rowspan="3" |Kasargod

|5,145

|1962

|83,363

|1967

|118,510

|1971

|Palakkad

|52,266

Marriage

AKG was earlier married and later left his wife. Later AKG was married to Susheela Gopalan, who was a prominent Marxist and trade union activist, from the Cheerappanchira family. His daughter, Laila, is married to P. Karunakaran, a former Member of Parliament for the Kasargod constituency.

Indian Coffee House

thumb|Statue of Gopalan in [[Kannur]]

AKG played an important role in the formation of Indian Coffee House, a worker cooperative initiative by organising the thrown out employees of Coffee Houses of Coffee Board to establish ICHs in late 1950s.

thumb|AKG memorial in [[Thiruvananthapuram]]

thumb|AKG smrithi mandapam Payyambalam Beach

In popular culture

Shaji N. Karun, a prominent film director of Kerala, made a biopic on AKG titled AKG – Athijeevanathinte Kanalvazhikal. The film used a part-documentary, part-fiction format. It was released in theatres across Kerala in August 2008. Baiju played Gopalan in the 2014 feature film Vasanthathinte Kanal Vazhikalil.

Autobiography – My Life Story

His autobiography is Ente Jeevitha Katha (written in Malayalam)