POLITICAL LIFE

POLITICAL LIFE

BEFORE INDEPEDENCE

Nayanar joined Communist Party of India in 1939. As a youth leader, Nayanar organized several movements. He led the forty-six-day-long Aaron Mill workers' protest against 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. 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.^[2][3]

AFTER INDEPENDENCE

After Independence, cases against Nayanar were dropped. He continued working actively for Communist Party of India. 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. During Sino-Indian War, Nayanar was accused of being pro-China and was imprisoned in 1964 under the Preventive Detention Act.^[3][4] He was the secretary of Kozhikode district committee of the united CPI from 1956 to 1964.^[1]

Nayanar was also one of the 32 CPI national council members who walked out and formed CPIM in 1964. He was a central committee member of the CPI(M) from the 7th Congress in 1964. 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 was elected to the Polit Bureau at the 14th Congress in 1992.^[1]