Anathalavattom Anandan

CPI(M) State Secretariat Member

Anathalavattom Anandan (Malayalam: ആനത്തലവട്ടം ആനന്ദന്‍) is an Indian Politician, a trade unionist and a member of Communist Party of India (Marxist). He is the President of Kerala State Committee and national Vice President Centre of Indian Trade Unions and the State Secretariat Member of CPI(M). He is also the General Secretary of Kerala Coir Workers Centre since 1972. He was elected to the Kerala Legislative Assembly from Attingal Constituency three times (in 1987, 1996 and 2006). The Kerala State Government had appointed him as the Vice Chairman of Apex Body for Coir in August 2016.

Personal life

Anandan was born to Shri. V.Krishnan and Smt. Nani Amma on 22 April 1937 in Anathalavattom in Thiruvananthapuram district. He is married to Lyla and has two children, Jeeva Anandan and Mahesh Anandan.

Political career

Anathalavattom Anandan started his political activities during his school days and became a member of the Communist Party during 1956.

After his schooling in 1958, worked as a coir worker and then organised them to form one of the first Coir Co-operative Society by the coir workers at Anathalavattom. In 1958 he leads oru ana samaram (ഒരു അണ സമരം) – the agitation to increase the wages of coir workers from half ana to one ana. Since then he worked for the uplift of the downtrodden and lead many struggles for work and wages for the coir workers.

Actively participated in various trade union agitations and strikes, arrested and detained on several occasions. He also faced police lathicharges and injured many time. During the Emergency period he went underground for one and a half year and was declared 'wanted' under MISA. Arrested on November 1976 and detained in prison till the lifting of emergency.

He was the Captain of three state marches (കാല്‍നട ജാഥകള്‍) of Coir Worker's Union in 1973 to protest against the police firing and killing of Comrade Ammu a coir worker at Vazhamuttom in Thiruvananthapuram district and 1974 for pressing for work and wages and the famous Pattini March (പട്ടിണി മാര്‍ച്ച്) in 1975 from Manjeswaram in Kasargod to Parassala in Thiruvananthapuram.

A senior trade union activist, Anandan is elected as the President of CITU Kerala State unit in its 12th State Conference held at Kasaragod. He is also the member of All India Working Committee of CITU since 1979 and also served as the Thiruvananthapuram District President of CITU.

Anandan was elected as the General Secretary of Kerala Coir Workers Centre (CITU) in 1972 and still holds the position. He was also the general secretary of Travancore Coir Thozhilali Union for a period of 25 years from 1970 to 1995.

He had been elected to the member of Thiruvananthapuram District Committee in 1971 and in 1984 to the State Committee and in 2009 to the State Secretariat of Communist Party of India (Marxist). Anandan is the first member to represent CPI(M)'s state secretariat from Thiruvananthapuram district.

He had served as the director of board of directors of Kerala State Coir Marketing Federation (Coirfed) from 1979 to 2001 and during the last 12 years he assumed the office of Chairman of Coirfed. He became Vice Chairman of Coir Board thrice and also served as the Executive Committee member. He was also the Vice Chairman of National Coir Research & Management Institute (NCRMI). He had also served as the Chairman of Foam Mattings India Ltd.

Anandan had travelled widely to various parts of the world to promote Coir Geotextile and to find markets for Coir products. He had visited United States of America, United Kingdom, Canada, Italy, Switzerland, Egypt etc. He had also visited various Gulf countries.

He had served as the President of Chirayinkeezh Grama Panchayath during 1979 – 84 and then elected to the Kerala Legislative Assembly thrice from Attingal Constituency in 1987, 1996 and in 2006. He was an active member in the Legislative assembly and raised many issues related to the people in the House. As part of the activities in the Assembly he had served as the Chairman of Estimates Committee, Public Undertaking Committee and Committee on Environment and member of Public Accounts Committee (2008–11). Anandan was the Chief Whip of the Government during 2006-11 Left Democratic Front ministry.

The State Government had appointed him as the Chairman of Coir Commission and Coir Minimum Wages Committee and was a member of Task Force Committee constituted by State Planning Board.

He had also served as member of Zonal Railway Users’ Consultative Committee of Southern Railway representing Kerala Legislative Assembly and as a director of Kerala Shops & Establishment Board.

He had acted as Chirayinkeezhu Thaluk committee member of Communist Party, Attingal Area Secretary, Chirayinkeezhu Local Committee secretary, General Secretary of Travancore Coir Thozhilali Union, Thiruvananthapuram, District Motor Workers Union, Taluk Press workers Union, Taluk Sawmill Workers Union, Taluk Taxi Drivers Union and Thengu Kayatta Thozhilali Union.

He was the President of Serifed Employees Union, Consumer Federation Employees Association and SIDCO Employees Association.

Currently he is the President of Kerala Financial Corporation Officers' Association, Kerala State Co-Operative Bank Employees Federation, Khadi Board Employees Association and Titanium Officers Association.

Awards

1. Coir Mitra Award - Awarded by Coir Board, Ministry of MSME, Govt. of India in the year 2016.

2. Coir Millennium Award - awarded by Coir Board, Ministry of ARI, Govt of India in the year 2000.

3. Coir Award 2009 instituted by the Kerala State government.

4. Coir Award 2010-11 for Long Standing Experience and Contribution to Coir Sector by the Government of Kerala

References

• Anathalavattom Anandan in CPI(M) secretariat
• Coir Industry - Need Cure Comprehensive
• Coir panel moots massive mechanisation
• Uproar in Kerala Assembly over ‘slight' to Achuthanandan
• UDF, LDF take rice row to poll panel
• Nothing unconstitutional about the resolution adopted by the Kerala Assembly on calling upon the Centre to withdraw from the Indo-U.S. nuclear deal - Anandan