Only KR Gowri remains from first ministry
Both used their talents to fight for the poor
ALAPPUZHA: The demise of eminent jurist VR Krishna Iyer leaves the legacy of the Communist party’s “ballot power” on the shoulders of ninety plus grand lady K R Gowri, the only person who is a living member of the first democratically elected communist regime in the world.
The first success of the legendary struggles was the election of the first Communist Government in Kerala, led by EMS Namboodiripad in 1957.
Even though Gowri and V R Krishna Iyer, both Constitutional experts, were fellow ministers in the same cabinet, they used their talents to fight for the poor.
An article titled ‘First Communist government in Kerala: in retrospect’, written by Prof B. Vivekanandan, says the Independent MLA V.R. Krishna Iyer, joined the ministry working hand in hand with A K Gopalan and K. Damodaran, EMS Namboodiripad, C. Achutha Menon, T.V. Thomas and K R Gowri.
With the demise of Iyer, the legacy of the first democratically elected firebrand government is fading except for the presence of KR Gowri.
Even though Gowri and Iyer had worked together tirelessly to formulate many bills from 1957-59, they did not bother to hide their difference of opinion.
On March 7, 2010, the spat between these two split wide open after decades. Justice V R Krishna Iyer, who came under severe criticism from K R Gowri Amma, said the latter “should not have made malefide aspersions with implications on my father, wife and private life’.
Strongly opposing Gowri Amma’s statements about his role on the Land Reforms Law, Iyer said: “Probably EMS, in his assessment of candidates, thought I should be in charge of Law, Home and Prisons.
Matters which related to law were many in our time, especially because the status quo jurisprudence for which the courts stood required a creative and dynamic Law Minister.”
Iyer said the party and then MLAs “requested me to draft the Law Reform legislation which certainly is a complicated matter, requiring a profound understanding of the Constitution and its basic structure.
Maybe, Gowri Amma was a sound Constitutional jurist, a secret which perhaps EMS knew and I did not.” Iyer said he was able to prepare a rough draft with “blitz speed” because he had legal experience and had prepared a Bill for agrarian reform in a micro fashion for Malabar in the Madras legislature.
The bitterness between these legends now has ended. In fact, K R Gowri, even though she skipped Iyer’s 100th birthday celebrations recently, sent birthday wishes.