BIRTH
Valappil and Engandoor are the two ancient families in Kodungallor,Northern Kerala . Sri Engandoor Gopala Menon was the fourth son of the couple Sri Valappil Damoadra menon (1880 – 1935 ) and smt. Engandoor Naniamma (1890 – 1969 ) and was born in 1919.
He had four brothers namely Sri E Narayana Menon , Sri E Prameshwara Menon , Sri Raman kutty Menon and a sister., Smt E Narayaniamma .
EDUCATION
Mr. Menon has completed his secondary education at Kodungallor Govt Boys High School . Fascinated by congress ideology , he began to wear khadhi since 7th STD and used to go to school wearing a Gandhi cap and olakkuda .Picketing wine shops and textile shops selling foreign dress materials was the agenda of agitation in Kodungallor region. Though there were permanent volunteers for the schedule, students were also allowed to participate . Gopalakrishna Menon also had given his name as volunteer for picketing. He used to participate in marches around the city in the mornings when he had no lessons.
The patriotic songs he heard during those marches fortified in his heart , the spirit of freedom and patriotism. He began to attend congress meetings, khadi compaign ,charkka weaving and toddy shop picketing .
He was highly influenced by the speech delivered by Sri. Kesava Dev at Kodungallor .
SOCIAL ACTIVITIES
Kochi Rajya PrajaMandal was formed on the 26th January 1941 at a meeting in Trichur, presided over by sri Neelakandan . Most of the communist party activists , came to the party through the pursuits in prajamandal. He became one of the founding leaders of Prajamandal and he travelled through villages and taluks ; conducted meeting and formed local committees for Praja mandal . First anniversary of Praja mandal was decided to be conducted at Irinjalakkuda on the first week of January in 1942 . The sole responsibility of the event was for E Gopalakrishna Menon. Vexed with the vital activities of praja mandal the White Diwan of Cochin , Mr.Dixon announced that the meeting was banned .
A meeting of the Praja mandal activists was organized in Ernakulam for planning the future actions . Police arrested Gopalakrishna Menon and other activists like VS. Menon , Sankaran kutty Menon and others from Irinjalakuda . They were kept in Thrissur sub jail for a day and then were moved to Viyyor Central jail .
He was released from Viyyoor jail after a few days . He spoke against prohibition order at Irinjalakkuda and police reached the place and arrested him . He was brutally assaulted at the Irinjalakkuda Police station and the next day he was released from the jail . He struggled hard to spread the message of Praja mandal through villages . During this time he came close with the Communist party which has been functioning as a secret group in Kochi . He was attracted to the Communist ideology and became a Communist party activist and thus lost his positions in Praja mandal .
When the Communist party was legalized in 1942 it formed the programme for campaigning and Gopalakrishna Menon was assigned to work for the Party in Kunnamkulam .Public meetings and marches were banned and squad works were done.Nail industry was very popular at Kunnamkulam at that time.Campaigning for Deshabhimmani weekly in each factory was carried out. Nail workers union was also formed, followed by the organization of Beedi workers and Farmers’ Forum in the neighbouring villages . At the peak time of second world war in 1942-43 he promoted collective farming with farmers forum in the lead. Though he was a candidate to the cochin assembly elections from Kodungalloor in 1945 he didn’t win. Thiru-Kochi state was formed in 1949 combinig the Tavancore and Cochin provinces .
He won the by election held from Kodungalloor in 1949.
MEMBER OF LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY
The lone Communist MLA in the newly formed Travancore-Cochin Legislative Assembly in 1949 was E Goplakrishna Menon Mr.Menon won the by election when he was in underground shelter. Though comrades like TV Thomas , PT Punnose , K R Gowri competed in the election of 1948 nobody could embrace success .
But he wrote a letter from the shelter to Sri T K Narayana Pillai who was the chief Minister of Travancore-cochin . He asked the Chief Minister to withdraw the warrant against him and to let him attend the Assembly proceedings.
ARREST AND ATTENDING THE ASSEMBLY
Gopalakrishna Menon was arrested in May 1950 while in underground shelter.The police assault towards the Communist Party workers became brutal and many pubic organizations under the leader ship of the party were banned . Comrades like KK Warrier , George Chadayamuri , C janardhanan , VV Narayanan vaidyar accompanied Goalakrishna Menon to the prison. . The charge against them was conspiracy against the government .. They had to stay in sub jails and Viyyore Central jail for about one year . He was released from jail in march 1951 as per the verdict of Travancore-Cochin High Court . It was a time when a lot of political events were taking place in Travancore-cochin . The ministry of TK Narayana pillai collapsed and a the new ministry with Sir C Kesavan as the chief minister took over .Mr Goplakrishna menon attended the Budget meeting after coming out of jail. He got his opportunity to speak on the third day of Budget discussion. Unfolding the brutality shown by the police towards thousands of common people and Communist party workers under the Congress rule he articulated his views firmly. He elaborated the brutality of police in lockups , and abuse against women and showed the scars left from the brutal police assault .
He has been a member in Travancore-Cochin and Kerala Legislative Assemblies four times from Kodungallore in 1949,1952,1957 and 1970. He has delivered a lot of speeches in the Assembly but he believed that the most gracious was his debut speech!
It was not by accident that Communist party grabbed the majority in the first election to the Assembly after the formation of Kerala state .
It is the result of the struggle the Party made in the Travancore –Cochin provinces and Malabar area against the anti people rule of Congress party from 1949 to 1957
FAMILY LIFE
Spouse: Dr.Saraswathi.
Children:
Dr. Ravindran Menon
Dr. Hemalatha
Mr. Rajendran Menon
Mr. Radhakrishnan.
Mr. Menon passed away on 08-09-1996.
PEERLESS CHARACTER
Open heartedness to all without discrimination was his perceptible attribute . He had never made an attempt to consider anyone as a lesser being . His approach was truthful and honourable. He was never ambitious for any positions in the party or the Government. But many high ranks came after him . And this was a recognition to his proficiency , dedication and sincerity. It was when he held pioneer roles in the party he volunteered to withdraw from the assembly elections of 1977 . It can’t be considered as a withdrawal or renouncement but it was an epitome of self realization that he himself was above any entitlement . Eventually he withdrew himself from the positions he held in the party . And even without any feathers in his cap , his grace was over whelming .
In the current political scenario, Mr. Menon’s life and vision will certainly endow
strength for safe guarding our efforts for survival.