SHRI K.K. VISWANATHAN

Shri K.K. Viswanathan was nNorn in Mattancheri, Cochin, on November 4, 1914. He was educated at St.Thomas Colelge, Trichur, Maharajas’ College, Ernakulam and Law College, Trivandrum. He took his Bachelor’s Degree in law from the Madras Unviersity in 1938 and started his legal practice in Cochin the same year.  Simultaneously, he took up the management of a High School there and also evinced greatl interest in trade union work. Shri Viswanathan was one of the founders of a major Port-workers’ Union by name the “Cochin Thuramukha Thozhilali Union.”

Aftterwards, he enrolled himself as a member of the Cochin Praja Mandal, a consitituent of the All India State People’s Conference, which carried on in the princely State the policies and programmes of the Indian National Congress.  In 1948, he was elected to the Cochin Legislative Council on Praja Mandal ticket and on the merger of Travancore and Cochin in 1949, he automatically became a Member of the integrated State Assembly.

Shri Viswanathan, however, resigned from the State Assembly in 1950 along with his other colleagues in response to a call from the Cochin Praja Mandal to that effect. He then turned his attention to welfare activities among the masses and soon came to be known as a leading social worker as also an astute Congressman in and around the Cochin region.

In 1957 , when the EMS-led Communist Ministry was installed in office after the first general elections, after the formation of Kerala State in November 1956, Shri Viswanathan was also a Member of the Assembly and was eventually elected as Secretary of the Kerala Congress Legislature party.  He dedicated himself to the cause of the weaker sections with missionary zeal and ardently advocated  several progressive measures and legislations for the amilioration of their condition.  By then he had become one amongst front-ranking parliamentarians in Kerala  and gained recognition even of members of Opposition parties as an expert in land reforms. During this period he decided to give up even his lucrative law practice in order to be able to devote his full time and care to the party work.

Shri Viswanathan was returned to the State Assembly with a huge margin of votes when fresh elections were held in 1959 after the exit of the Communist Ministry headed by Shri E.M.s. Namboodiripad as a result of the “liberation struggle” launched by the people against it.  He lent his powerful support and guidance first to the Coalition Government and later to the Congress Ministry in bringing about various land reform measures in the State.

Shri Viswanathan edited a Malayalam Weekly named THE REPUBLIC and ably projected Congress policies and programmes which gained acceptance and support from the common people.  He was the Secretary of the State congress Legislature Party during 1957-60 and 1960-64 and the General Secretary of the KPCC from 1966 to 1969. The first ever AICC session held in Kerala was successfully organized by him in Ernakulam in 1966.  After the split in Congress ranks in 1969, he, as the Convener of the ad hoc KPCC, was responsible in stabilising the Congress Party on strong foundations.  He was later elected as president of the KPCC in 1970, followed by his re-election to the same post in December 1972.

In addition to his Parliamentary work, Shri Viswanathan was Chariman of the State Evaluation Committee of Programmes for the Scheduled Castes and the Scheduled Tribes during the First and the Second Five year Plans; was a member on the Kerala State Food Advisory Committee, the Public Health Advisory Committee, the High Power Committee on Land Reforms, the State Planning Advisory Committee, the Estimates Committee, the Assurance Committee and the Rules Committee.

He organized an All India exhibition in celebration of the Centenary of Sree Nararyana Guru.

As President of various important Trade Unions, he actively participated in several labour welfare programmes for nearly two decades. Besides, he played a prominent role in the adult franchise movement as a pre-condition to the induction of Responsible Government in the Cochin State.

During  his tenures in the Congress, Shri Viswanathan took a very keen interest in reorganizing the KPCC and secured far better representation on it for the Harijans, minority communities and the youth which enhanced the party’s involvement in the lives of all categories of people in the State, lending it a greater democratic touch.  He also helped opening of hotels and restaurants managed by the Harijans.  He played a notable role in raising and developing  the Congress Seva Dal into a 25,000 strong trained volunteer organization.

During his long and eventful public life in Kerala, Shri Viswanathan could see through  many an ambitious and progressive reform in political as well as social spheres. He was able to elicit all round admiration and respect for his intellectual  honesty and wisdom even from his seniors. He came to be considered a firned, philospher and guide by his junior colleagues. Even amongst opposition party members there was great appreciation of his transparent sincerity and he was held in high esteem and affection for his qualities of head and heart.

He took over as the Governor of Gujarat on April 4, 1973.