Ayillyath Kuttiari Gopalan

(1 October 1904 – 22 March 1977)

Revolutionary, Parliamentarian, and Champion of the Downtrodden
 

A.K. Gopalan

Popularly known as AKG

• Born: 1 October 1904, Peralasseri, Kannur
• Died: 22 March 1977
• Political Party: CPI(M)
• Spouse: Susheela Gopalan
• Key Role: First Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha (unofficial group leader)

Legacy

Founding member of the Indian Coffee House, a major worker cooperative initiative established to support thrown-out employees of the Coffee Board.

Early Life & Education

Ayillyath Kuttiari Gopalan Nambiar was born on 1 October 1904 in Peralasseri, Kannur District. He was educated at Basel Evangelical Mission Parsi High School and Government Brennen College, Thalassery.

By the time he became a teacher, India's independence movement was gaining momentum under Mahatma Gandhi. Gopalan took part in the Khilafat Movement, which transformed him into a dedicated full-time social and political worker. During this time, he renounced the caste suffix "Nambiar" from his name as a mark of protest against the caste system.

The Freedom Struggle & Social Reform

In 1927, he joined the Indian National Congress and played an active role in the Khadi Movement and the upliftment of Harijans. He participated in the Salt Satyagraha in 1930, which led to his arrest.

The Kandoth Assault: While leading a procession of Harijans through a public road near the Kandoth Thiyya caste Temple in Payyannur, AKG and his group were brutally attacked by caste-Hindu chiefs. He was beaten unconscious for asserting the right of lower-caste people to walk on public roads. This event, known as the "Kandoth assault," was a pivotal moment in his political career.

He later played a key role in the Guruvayoor Satyagraha. While in prison, he became acquainted with communism, joining the Congress Socialist Party and later the Communist Party of India (CPI) when it took shape in Kerala in 1939.

Communist Leader & Parliamentarian

Following the outbreak of World War II, AKG was arrested again but escaped from prison in 1942, remaining at large until 1945. Even when India gained independence in 1947, he was behind bars.

He was elected to the first Lok Sabha in 1952 as one of 16 Communist members. He served as a Member of Parliament for 5 consecutive terms until his death in 1977, distinguishing himself as a formidable voice of the opposition.

Formation of CPI(M)

During the Sino-Indian war in 1962, conflicts arose within the CPI leadership. AKG, along with leaders like E.M.S. Namboodiripad, took a stance requesting peaceful settlement, which was denounced by the party's right wing. Following internal ideological struggles and the rejection of an inquiry into the "Dange letters," the left group walked away to form the Communist Party of India (Marxist) in 1964.

Legal Legacy: A. K. Gopalan v. State of Madras

In 1950, AKG challenged his detention under the Preventive Detention Act 1950 in the Supreme Court of India. He argued that it violated his Fundamental Rights under Articles 19 and 21.

While the majority bench upheld his detention, the case remains a landmark in Indian Constitutional history regarding the interpretation of personal liberty and the relationship between fundamental rights.

Selected Works

• Ente Jeevitha Kadha (Autobiography)
• For Land
• Around the World
• Work in Parliament