K. P. R. Gopalan
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K.P.R. Gopalan, popularly known as KPR was a freedom fighter and communist leader from Kaliasserry, Kannur, Kerala, India. KPR was active in the Indian National Congress. At one point he was sentenced to death by the colonial authorities.
During the freedom struggle K.P.R Gopalan was also the prime accused in trial on the murder of a Sub-Inspector . On sept 15, 1940 the british police tried to stop a public gathering organised by the Indian National Congress protesting against famine. A scuffle followed. Valapattanam Sub-Inspector K.M. Kuttikrishna Menon was killed in that scuffle. K.P.R Gopalan was sentenced to death for this crime, and the British commuted the sentence to life imprisonment after Mahathma Gandhi got involved. There was obvious bias in the british judge's original verdict which found only one from a mob, that too its leader, responsible for the murder of the police official. It was generally agreed that it was political vendetta that resulted in the original verdict. This is exemplified by the fact that Gandhiji, known to be an advocate of anti-violent means of protest, interfered in this case for KPR inspite of the violence involved.
Together with much of the rest of the Congress leadership in Kerala, KPR later joined the Communist Party of India. In the 1964 split KPR sided with Communist Party of India (Marxist). He belong edto the leftist section of CPI(M), and in 1967 he joined the AICCCR and got expelled from CPI(M). He did however develop differences with the left-adventurist leadership of AICCCR, on issues such as elections. His group floated its own party, Communist Revolutionary Party, ahead of the 1970 assembly elections.
He was also a well known chess & soccer (football) player in Kannur circles. He also did a fair bit of football refreeing. He married while into his 70s a widow. But his wife passed away much earlier that him.
In his later years, he was known again known to be closer to Communist Party of India (Marxist) although he remained separated from them.
KPR Gopalan died on August 6, 1997.
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