My grandfather and Karunakaran.

Karunakaran, the veteran Congress leader has become memory. A man who gathered tremendous strength from his political life, he seemed to have answers for every move his opponents made, during his lifetime. Much has been and will be written or beamed by the print and visual media, respectively, over the coming days and hence I shall desist from revisiting those aspects!

His name to fame came about in 1969, when he became the Home Minister in a coalition ministry headed by the late Achutha Menon, who is still regarded by most as the best Chief Minister, Kerala has seen thus far. Karunakaran, of course, did not stay long in that capacity because of the infamous Rajan case(Rajan, an engineering student was picked up by the police due to his alleged links with the naxalites and died while in custody) and has been implicated in the Palmolein case too. But whatever one might say, he was an able administrator and the setting up of the Kochi International Airport and the Kaloor International Stadium were a couple of his most recent achievements.

I remember him for an incident at the Kerala House here, in Delhi, in Dec '94. My grandfather had gone to meet a minister from Kerala who was camping there at the time. After the meeting, as we(I and my maman were also with him) were coming out on the corridor, Karunakaran who was the CM then, was in his room holding one of his durbars. My grandfather tried to get into the room to say a cursory hello to him but was thwarted from the attempt by the overzealous security guys at the door.

An angry PN Panicker walked away in a huff, lamenting at the way politicians insulated themselves from reality with the trappings of power. Perhaps, Karunakaran must have been apprised of the commotion outside because he quickly came out, took my grandfather into his room and they exchanged pleasantries as we looked on. I suppose their friendship started when Karunakaran was acquiring his political stature - like many other political leaders across the political spectrum then - through the vibrant 'Kerala Library Association' set up by my grandfather. He, then, made it a point to see off my grandfather, at the entrance, as I drove away with him that evening!

Their association continued in the same vein till my grandfather's passing away in '95. I and my maman'd made it a point to appraise him of the activities of the PN Panicker Foundation as he evinced a keen interest and he used to put forth his suggestions which we faithfully incorporated.

I'd gone to the Kerala House today to pay my homage to the departed soul. In the process, I saw the very same corridor and the room where they'd met almost 16 years back on a similar cold wintry day and experienced a lump in my throat. And I realised that my eyes were moist!

RIP Karunakaranji!