Call it the triumph of religion over Communism or a revisionist lapse in Communism. But, at the age of 96, K.R. Gauri, former Communist firebrand and a member of Kerala’s first Communist Cabinet headed by EMS Nampoothiriappad, doesn’t mind being seen inside a temple or being part of a temple ritual.

And, Gauriamma’s `temple entry’ comes in the wake of the recent controversy over her estranged husband and Communist leader, T. V. Thomas’s alleged desire to receive the holy communion while in his deathbed in 1977.

On Monday, Gauriamma (as she is known to Keralites) who is now the secretary general of the Janadhipathya Samrakshana Samity, a fringe party, was the centre of an elaborate temple ritual at the Raja Rajeswari Mahadevi temple at Kandamangalam near Cherthala in Alappuzha district. In a `Naari Pooja’ ceremony, she was worshipped as a goddess. `Naari Pooja’ is an annual ritual at the temple and the woman chosen is considered as a Devi for the duration of the pooja.

Late in the afternoon, Gauriamma was seated ritualistically in a ceremonial chair. Amid prayers and chants of mantras, she was worshipped in traditional temple style as the Devi by the poojaris and hundreds of local bhaktas. Earlier, she was taken ceremonially to the venue of the pooja with the accompaniment of a traditional music band.

Gouriamma, considered a communist legend before her ouster from the CPI(M) in 1994, has been a female icon of revolution and inspiration for generations of Kerala women. After the ouster, she floated her own political party, joined the United Democratic Front and became a minister once again. Recently, she was invited to return to the CPI(M), but internal feud in her JSS party put up the road block.

IDEOLOGICAL DIVORCE

In 1957, Gauriamma, then the Revenue Minister in the EMS Nampoothirippad-headed first Communist government in Kerala, married party comrade and Industries Minister T.V. Thomas in a typical party-arranged wedding. When the Communist Party split into two in 1964, T.V. Thomas stayed with the CPI while Gauriamma went with the newly-founded Communist Party of India (Marxist) and the couple separated in 1965 on ideological grounds. Gauriamma went on to become a minister in Nampoothiriappad’s second government as well as in three other governments, including a UDF Government.

Thomas died in 1977 after a prolonged illness. In a memoir last month, former Archbishop Joseph Powathail said that TV Thomas had, during his last days, wanted to come back to Christianity. Powathil also claimed that Thomas had, while in his deathbed, wanted to confess and receive the Holy Communion. But his desire had not been carried out because of the opposition from his party colleagues. Powathil’s revelations had kicked up a controversy and several Communist leaders rejected Powathil’s claims, saying Thomas had never abandoned his faith in Communism.

comment COMMENT NOW