Ramesh Chennithala

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Ramesh Chennithala is a prominent Congressman and a member of that party's Working Committee, as well as the current President of the Kerala Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC). He was born on 25th May of 1956 at Chennithala in Alappuzha District of Kerala.

[edit] Positions Held :

  1. 1982-89 Member, Kerala Legislative Assembly
  2. 1982-83 Member, Library Committee, Kerala Legislative Assembly
  3. 1985-86 General Secretary, Indian Youth Congress (I)
  4. 1986-87 Cabinet Minister, Rural Development, Kerala
  5. 1986-90 President, Pradesh Youth Congress (I), Kerala
  6. 1989 Member, Committee on Petitions, Kerala Legislative Assembly; Elected to Ninth Lok Sabha
  7. 1990-91 Member, Committee on Official Language; Member, Consultative Committee, Ministry of Human Resource Development
  8. 1991- Re-elected to Lok Sabha (Tenth)
  9. 1991-95 President, A.I.Y.C. (I)
  10. 1991-96 Member, Consultative Committee, Ministry of Commerce
  11. 1992-94 Executive Member, Congress Parliamentary Party
  12. 1993-96 Member, Standing Committee on Commerce & Labour
  13. 1994-96 Member, Committee on Public Undertakings
  14. 1994- Joint Secretary, A.I.C.C. (I)
  15. 1996- Elected to Lok Sabha (Eleventh) for the third time
  16. 2002- Nominated as Congress Working Committeeman

[edit] External links

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His childhood

 Born in a middle class Hindu Nair family on 9th June 1956 Shri. Ramesh Chennithala hails from Chennithala village belonging to Chennithala-Thripperumthura panchayat at Mavelikkara in Alleppy district. His father Shri. V. Ramakrishnan Nair imparted education, as a High school teacher in Mahatma High School, Mavelikara and his mother Smt. Devaki Amma was a homemaker. He was the first child in a family of 4 children and in his road to life he was accompanied by his two brothers and a sister. Deeply rooted in Congress traditions and ideology for decades there can be no second thoughts in saying that his was a Congress family. For 15 years his parents served as panchayat members in Chennithala- Thripperumthura panchayat.   
     
 His life as a student and his debut in student politics   
     
 He started his school life in Thripperumthura Govt. L. P. School in 1961 and in 1971 he completed his SSLC with a high score. His brilliance, charisma and friendly nature made him a favourite among all at school and this includes his teachers too. From the age of 10 he mesmerized his audience with his stunning speeches prepared with the help of his father at the “School Sahitya Samajam” meetings.    
     
 In 1969, a campaign under the banner “Onathinu oru para Nellu” was organized when Shri. Oommenchandy (former Chief Minister) was the KSU president. Being a part of “ Onathinu Oru Para Nellu” campaign and he along with other campaigners cultivated paddy as a part of the campaign, in 5 cents of land taken on rent in front of school courtyard. It’s quite interesting to note that Shri.Ramesh was only in class VIII at Chennithala Mahatma High School, when the campaign happened. In the meantime he was invited to join KSU by Prof. Kerala Varma and Shri. C. K. Radhakrishanan (who later became his brother-in-law), the president and secretary of KSU Mavelikara thaluk committee then. Though he was quite reluctant initially his contribution to the campaign made him the Unit Secretary of KSU Chennithala Unit in 1970 and in 1971 he was again selected as KSU Mavelikara Taluk General Secretary.   
     
 His active involvement in student politics proved to be an obstruction for his education considering the fact that in spite of his high scores in SSLC, he was denied admission in Bishop Moor College in Mavelikkara. But this did not stop him. He joined in Changanassery NSS Hindu College and continued his PDC taking up science as the main subject. He also graduated in Economics from the same college. The NSS Hindu College Union was crowned as the best college union during Shri. Ramesh’s reign as its chairman.   
     
 Successes and prestigious positions came his way with him being selected as the Alappuzha District Treasurer of KSU in 1972 and as the Alappuzha District Secretary of KSU in 1973. In 1975 he became the State Executive Member of KSU. During this time he was an inevitable part of all student movements led by KSU in the state.   
     
 During 1978 - 79 he became the State Vice President of KSU and in 1979 he was selected as KSU State General Secretary. In 1980 he was nominated as State President ok KSU and later he was also elected as the President of KSU thrice. Undoubtedly his tenure was a golden period for KSU as a student political force in the state. It is noteworthy to see that in 1979 when there was a divide in Congress, Shri. Ramesh stood by Smt. Indira Gandhi extending his support. It was during his tenure as KSU president, KSU celebrated its golden jubilee and Rajiv Gandhi was the chief guest for this inaugural function convened at Trichur.


His entry into Mainstream Politics

 Shri. Ramesh’s win over Shri. P. G. Thampi (now he is the director of Public prosecution ) in 1982 marked his debut in mainstream politics following which he was elected as an MLA from Haripad Constituency. This victory still stands memorable, as it was the first time a 26 - year - old youth was elected to the Kerala Legislative Assembly as the youngest member of the assembly. Becoming the President of NSUI at the all India level in 1982 was     
  
 another feather on his cap this being the first time for a Keralite to take this position.   
     
 In 1985 he was nominated as the General Secretary of the Indian Youth Congress (I) and in 1986 he was sworn in as the youngest Cabinet Minister (Rural Development) in the history of Kerala at the age of 28 and till date there’s been none to take the place. In the same year he was selected as the President of Pradesh Youth Congress (I), in Kerala and in 1987 he was re - elected as an MLA from Haripad Constituency. During his period as an MLA, the party nominated him as a candidate from the Kottayam Parliament constituency. So he resigned from the assembly. In 1989 he was elected a s an MP from the Kottayam Parliamentary Constituency. His name was again recorded in history in 1990 when for the first time a south Indian from a non-Hindi speaking state was nominated as the national President of Indian Youth Congress (I), the world’s largest youth organization. In 1991 he was re-elected from Kottayam Constituency to the Parliament with a whipping majority of 65,000 votes. 



    Shri. Ramesh demonstrated success time and again with the positions he was elected for. In 1995 he was nominated as the Joint Secretary for AICC from Kerala. In 1996 he was elected to represent in the Parliament again with a majority of 67,000 votes. In 1997 he was nominated as the Joint Secretary for AICC in the same year was elected as an AICC Member. 
  
     
 After being nominated as the Secretary of AICC by Honorable Congress President, Smt. Sonia Gandhi in 1998 he was also given charge of elections in Goa and Madhya Pradesh in the same year. The next year was golden too with his election into the Parliament from Mavelikkara. In 2001 he was appointed as the Secretary of AICC and was given independent charge for seven States. In 2002 he was appointed as the Secretary of AICC with Independent charge for five States and an additional responsibility of Programme Implementation in Southern India. His tenure as the President of Kerala Pradesh Congress Committee since 2005 came in after he was elected as a member of the Congress Working Committee in 2004.   
     
 As a Statesman   
     
 Becoming the youngest Cabinet Minister for Rural Development in Kerala in 1986 at the age of 28 was a jewel in his crown and no one has changed the history as yet. His role as a cabinet minister though for a short period of time did not be a hindrance to prove himself as an able administrator with foresight and vision.