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I met Kodiyeri Balakrishnan for the first time in his office in the Kerala Legislative Assembly when he was the Home Minister of Kerala in 2008. He was invited as the chief guest at the launch of the Chennai Malayali Directory. He graciously accepted the invitation; Gulf Indians Editor P. Sukumaran recalls his long and warm relationship with late CPM leader Kodiyeri Bala Krishnan.
Kodiyeri with his ever smiling face and cheerfulness was a political leader who could maintain good relationship with all who came across him. Even his political rivals used to agree with this characteristic of Kodiyeri. His confidence to take up any challenge with a smile face was a rare example of a politician. He had the quality to become one among the mass and his political journey was filled with love for all without causing resentment to anyone.
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I met Kodiyeri Balakrishnan for the first time in 2008 when he was the Home Minister in his office in the Legislative Assembly. The meeting was for inviting him as the chief guest at the launch of the Chennai Malayali directory. He graciously accepted the invitation. He reached Chennai one day before the event. Reached the auditorium an hour before the start of the program. He released the Chennai Malayali directory and delivered an hour-long speech.
In 2006, VS Achuthanandan’s cabinet decided to create a data bank of foreign Malayalis. Discussions were held with the then NORCA Secretary, Sheila Thomas IAS, and also with the Chief Minister. But the real truth is that it was stuck in red tape and could not materialise. Comrade Kodiyeri later expressed interest in making an effort under my leadership, who had experience in publishing a directory of Malayalis and Malayali organizations in the major cities of India. But nothing happened due to the stubbornness of some people in the Chief Minister’s personal staff.
I met him several times after this. In any crowd, he used to call me ‘Sukumar’ with love. I could deliver copies of the Directory to him as I published it in each place. We last met at the Sharjah Indian Association in 2019. Pravasi Board Director, Murali Puthuveli had informed me that Kodiyeri. I had planned to accompany him to the airport. But couldn’t go due to some urgent work. Talked to him over t phone while in the car. Immediately he asked me to come to Sharjah Indian Association’. I went there and he was sitting in the Indian Association conference hall with many VIPs from the UAE. When he saw me, he called me Sukumar and talked to me. Even when he was the tourism minister, many projects were brought into the tourism sector of Kerala with the help of foreign Malayalis. He once said that data is worth a diamond. Collecting maximum data about Malayalis from all over the world is a big deal. In 2008, he also participated in the inauguration ceremony of the the US Malayali Directory in New York. Comrade Kodiyeri was a leader who grew up through political struggles. He also made his mark as an excellent administrator and was a great party leader and organizer.
Comrade Kodiyeri was a loving friend who faced cancer with extraordinary courage. His departure is a great loss for Kerala politics and for me personally.
Lal Salam Comrade
