Com. C.K. Chandrappan (Cheerappanchirayil Kumarapanikar Chandrapan)
Born on 11th November 1936 at Cherthala
Father: CK Kumarapanikar, former Communist leader popularly known as ‘Vayalar Stalin’
Mother: Ammukutty Amma
Son of Com.C. K. Kumara Panickar, a valient fighter of the Punnapra-Vayalar mass revolt, Com.C.K. Chandrappan was as a prominent leader of the communist movement in India. He was known as a passionate advocate for the youth and rose to become a member of the national council and the secretary of the Kerala state council of the Communist Party of India.
Com.Chandrappan completed his schooling in Cherthala and Tripunithura. However, his affiliations to the students’ organizational activities and close association with communist leaders prevented him from being admitted to a degree course at Maharajas College, Ernakulam. Undeterred, he pursued his degree at Government College Chitoor and graduated in economics. He furthered his studies at the University College, Thiruvananthapuram.
As a dedicated activist in the student movement, Com.Chandrappan actively participated in the All India Students Federation (AISF). He played a crucial role in the formation of the All India Youth Federation (AIYF) and served as its general secretary. In 1956, he was elected as the State Secretary of AISF and later became the National President. He also held positions as the General Secretary and President of AIYF. Com.Chandrappan’s commitment to the cause led him to join the farmers’ struggle and lead the All India Kisan Sabha (AIKS), where he served as the President.
In 1971, Com.Chandrappan was elected as a Member of the Central Executive of the Communist Party of India, making him the youngest person to hold this position. He also had a successful political career, being elected to the Lok Sabha three times from Thalasseri (1971), Kannur (1977), and Thrissur (2004) Parliament Constituency. During his third term in the Lok Sabha, Com. Chandrappan played a pivotal role in drafting the Forest Act, which granted rights to forest dwellers on forest produce. In 1991, he was elected to the Kerala Legislative Assembly from the Cherthala Constituency. Additionally, he held prominent positions such as Chairman of the Kerala Tourism Development Corporation and ‘KERAFED’. For a significant period, he served as the Chairman & Managing Director of the Prabhath Book House.
On November 14, 2010, Com.Chandrappan was elected as the Secretary of the CPI State Council, succeeding Veliyam Bhargavan, who retired due to ill health. In February 2012, he was re-elected as the State Secretary during the State Conference.
Chandraappan actively participated in the Goa Liberation Movement and led various student and youth movements. His dedication to these causes led to multiple arrests and imprisonments. He won the award for the best Member of Parliament. He represented India in numerous international conferences organized by the United Nations, FAO, and others.
Com. Bulu Roy Choudhary was his wife, and they did not have any children.
Com. Chandrappan passed away on 22 March 2012.
Governance
| Positions Held |
| 1971-1977 Elected to 5th Lok Sabha |
| 1977-1979 Re-elected to 6th Lok Sabha (2nd term) |
| 1991-1996 Member, Kerala Legislative Assembly |
| 2004 Re-elected to 14th Lok Sabha (3rd term) |
| Member, Committee on Home Affairs |
| Member, Committee on Empowerment of Women |
| Member, Consultative Committee, Ministry of Human Resource Development |
| 5 August 2006-onwards Member, Committee on Commerce |
| 5 Aug. 2007 onwards Member, Committee on Commerce |
| Special Interests |
| Youth & Students movement in India and abroad; agrarian economy and peasant movement in India, its past and present; environment problems and environment movement; tourism, its economic significance |
| Favourite Pastime and Recreation |
| Reading travelling |
| Countries Visited |
| Widely travelled; Visited Vietnam and Bangladesh in Parliamentary delegation headed by the Speaker, Shri G.S. Dhillon. |
| Other Information |
| Chairman, Kerala Tourism Development Corporation (KTDC), 1987-91 & 1996-2001; Chairman-cum-Managing Director, Prabhath Book House, Trivandrum; Attended the World Youth Festival in Sofia, Bulgaria; Attended the Congresses of Communist Party of Soviet Union (CPSU) Communist Party of Portugal and Communist Party of Bulgaria; Attended the World Food Summit held in Rome; Member, (i) Central Executive Committee of the CPI; (ii) National Council of CPI; (iii) Court of Jawahar Lal Nehru University, Delhi, and (iv) Coconut Development Board; Was President and General Secretary of the All India Students Federation (AISF) and All India Youth Fedration (AIYF); President, All India Kisan Sabha (AIKS) |
