BOOK ON AK GOPALAN: A Communist Speaks in Parliament
Nitheesh Narayanan
“I and my friends are new to parliamentary procedures and practice”, AK Gopalan said as he began his first speech in Indian parliament, “with the result that we do not know whether we will be able to put our views clearly before you”. He was speaking about his and his comrades' lack of experience in speaking within the prescribed format and time limits as newly elected members in the lower house.“Whatever might be the language in which we speak,” he asserted,“whether our English may be good or not, you will hear from us the voice of the people...” This was on May 19, 1952, within weeks since the Lok Sabha session started after the first general election in India, and he was the first communist to speak in Indian parliament.
AKG was elected to parliament from the Kasargod constituency in today’s Kerala. Five years earlier, on August 15, 1947, when India marched to independence, he was a prisoner in Kannur Central Jail.In the 42 years he lived till 1947, AKG spent a quarter of it in the jail. All cases were charged by the British regime, which included charges ranging from sedition, to mobilising peasants against landlordism etc. The country's new political leadership was unwilling to release AKG and many other communists by dropping the colonial charges. They also remained a "threat" to the newly formed Indian State. “I nurtured feelings of joy and sorrow”, AKG remembered celebrating India’s independence inside the prison, “I was glad that the goal for which I had sacrificed all my youth and for which I was still undergoing imprisonment had been realised. But I was even now a prisoner.” However, a few years later, the common masses sent him to parliament to represent their voice, which he continued to do so for the next two and half decades. As he promised in his first speech, AKG continued amplifying people’s voices inside the parliament.
AK Gopalan's leadership of the communist wing in the Indian parliament spanned an impressive 25-year period, unparalleled by any other communist leader globally. He demonstrated to the world how a committed communist can effectively fight for the cause of the people both within and outside the parliamentary system. This pivotal role he played in the Indian political landscape and his unwavering dedication to the communist ideology has earned him a place as one of the most significant leaders of the world communist movement.
Paying tribute to the remarkable legacy of AK Gopalan, the Indian Society of Left Publishers has announced the publication of its first joint book, titled AK Gopalan, A Communist Speaks in Parliament. The Indian Society of Left Publishers is a platform of Left and progressive publishing houses that cooperate with each other to expand the rational, secular, and Left public sphere in India. The society is a member of the International Union of Left Publishers.
The book is set to be published in ten languages, including Assamese, Bangla, English, Gujarati, Hindi, Kannada, Malayalam, Marathi, Tamil, and Telugu, making it accessible to a wide readership across India. The book comprises three of AK Gopalan's speeches delivered in the Lok Sabha. Historian Irfan Habib, in the foreword, provides an insightful account of AKG's political legacy and personal memories of his interactions with him. Vijay Prashad, editor at LeftWord Books, reflects on the important role played by Communists such as AKG in the Indian parliament and provides an overview of his illustrious political career. The book is a testament to the enduring impact of AKG's contribution to Indian politics and serves as a reminder of his invaluable role in the Communist movement.
The book’s cover was released on April 22, Lenin’s birth anniversary. The Assamese edition of the book was released by Navayug Prakashan on the same day, with veteran communist leader Heman Das doing the honours in a function held in Guwahati. Kannada edition of the book, published by Kriya publishers, is also available for the readers. Other members of the Indian Society of Left Publishers will release the book in their respective states in the coming days. The publishing houses involved in the release of the book are Bharathi Puthakalayam, Chintha Pusblishers, Janshakti Prakashan, Kriya, LeftWord Books, National Book Agency, Nava Telangana, Navayug, Ojas, Prajasakti, and Vam Prakashan.
The book AK Gopalan, A Communist Speaks in Parliament includes three selected speeches delivered by AKG in the Lok Sabha. The first speech was delivered in 1951 focussing on the Preventative Detention (Second Amendment) Bill. The second speech, delivered in 1971, was following a resolution he moved demanding re-recognition of the provisional revolutionary government of South Vietnam. The third speech, delivered in 1975, was against the declaration of emergency. These speeches showcase AKG's unwavering commitment to fighting for the rights and voices of the people, even in the face of adversity and opposition, and also his undefeatable spirit of anti-imperialism.
