E. K. Nayanar

Erambala Krishnan Nayanar (9 December 1919 – 19 May 2004) was an Indian politician who served as the 9th chief minister of Kerala from 1980 to 1981, 1987 to 1991 and again from 1996 to 2001.

He served in that position for a total of 10 years, 11 months and 22 days, thus making him the longest-served Chief Minister of Kerala.

He was a senior leader of the Communist Party of India (Marxist).

Nayanar was born in an aristocratic Nair family in Kalliasseri, Kannur district on 9 December 1919, as the second son of Govindan Nambiar and Narayani Amma.

Despite his father, Govindan Nambiar, being a believer in the feudalism, Nayanar took to the national movement of the time at a very young age under the influence of his cousin, K.P.R. Gopalan.

Nayanar was influenced by the events following the admission of a Dalit girl to local school under the leadership of K.P.R. Gopalan.

Nayanar was a participant in student movements in the Malabar region as a part of Balasangham and consequently dropped out of school.

He also faced severe opposition from his father.

He was drawn towards the socialist ideology guided by leaders like P. Krishna Pillai.

Nayanar famously helped in the establishment of a library and named it Shri Harshan Library, after Harshan, a member of the oppressed caste who was tortured to death at the Kannur Central Jail for his participation in the national movement.

Nayanar was an Indian National Congress member then he joined the Communist Party of India in 1939 at the age of 20.

As a youth leader, Nayanar organized several movements.

He led the forty-six-day-long Aaron Mill workers' protest against the dismissal of thirty workers by the mill management in 1940.

He was jailed for six months as a consequence.

Nayanar was one of the organizers of Morazha rally on 15 September 1940 in protest of rising prices.

Two policemen were killed in the rally and Nayanar went into hiding for six years without knowing that he was not one of the accused.

He also organized peasant uprisings in Kayyur.

A policeman was stoned by protesters and subsequently died in Kayyur.

Communist leaders were actively pursued by police following the incident, forcing Nayanar to go into hiding in forest areas in Eleri.

He was elected Kannur taluk secretary in 1948.

He again was forced to go into hiding following 'Calcutta Thesis' proclamation that lead to banning Communist Party in India.

He was the secretary of Kozhikode district committee of the united CPI from 1956 to 1964.

During the Sino-Indian War, Nayanar was accused of being pro-China and was imprisoned in 1964 under the Preventive Detention Act.

Nayanar was also one of the 32 CPI national council members who walked out and formed CPI(M) in 1964.

He was a central committee member of the CPI(M) from the 7th Congress in 1964.

In 1967, he was elected to the Lok Sabha from Palakkad.

He served as the Secretary of the Kerala State Committee of the CPI(M) from 1972 to 1980 and again from 1992 to 1996.

He became an MLA for the first time from Irikkur legislative assembly in 1974.

Since he has been elected as an MLA five more times (twice each from Malampuzha (1980 and 1982) and Thrikkarippur (1987 and 1991) and once from Thalasseri (1996), losing only once.

The 1980 election saw the formation of two pre-poll alliances, viz.

LDF and UDF, most of whose constituent parties were part of the erstwhile United Front.

CPI(M)-led LDF to win the election, after winning 93 seats altogether.

E. K. Nayanar was sworn in as the Chief Minister on 26 March 1980 Nayanar was sworn in as the Chief Minister of Kerala on 26 March 1980 for the first time in 1980.

He formed government with the support of Congress (A) under A. K. Antony and Kerala Congress under K. M. Mani.

Later on, as Chief Minister, he set up a Government College in the area in 1981.

The college was renamed to E.K. Nayanar Memorial Government college.

While in hiding in Travancore, he worked as a journalist for Kerala Kaumudi.

After Independence, cases against Nayanar were dropped.

He continued working actively for Communist Party of India.

He was elected to the Polit Bureau at the 14th Congress in 1992.