K. Karunakaran
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K. Karunakaran (born July 5, 1918) is a veteran Congress party leader, freedom fighter, trade unionist, and former Chief Minister of Kerala, India.
Born Kannoth Karunakaran Maaraar to Kannoth Ramunni Maarar and Kannoth Kalyani Amma in Kannur, he matriculated from Raja's High School and did his diploma in Design, Geometry and Painting from College of Arts Thrissur.
Like many during his time, he entered into politics during India's freedom struggle. He started off as an activist in the Kochi Rajya Praja Mandalam and later entered electoral politics as member of the Thrissur Muncipal Council from 1945 - 1947. He was a founding member of the INTUC. He was elected 7 times to the Kerala Legislative Assembly between 1965 and 1995 and served as Chief Minister four times. He was a member of the Congress Working Committee from 1969. In 1995, he was elected to the Rajya Sabha and served as the minister of industries in the Cabinet for a year. He was married to Kalyanikutty Amma (Late) and has a son and a daughter.
K.Karunakaran has seen many an up and down in his life. He was the Home Minister (in charge of the State Police) during the Indira Gandhi imposed national emergency in 1975-76. K.Karunakaran had to resign after a scandal which involved the alleged detention and torture of an engineering student (Rajan Warrior) suspected to be a naxalite activist. One of the accused police officers Jayaram Padikkal IPS, the then Crime Branch chief was a close and trusted officer of Karunakaran.
On 1 may 2005 Shri. K. Karunakaran (known to his followers as 'leader') split the Congress party in Kerala to form the National Congress Indira with his son, K. Muraleedharan as its president. His daughter Padmaja Venugopal is also active in politics.