R. Balakrishna Pillai

2022-01-01T07:21:19Z

2409:4073:399:E8C2:35B2:C0AF:3A51:BBBC: /* top */office added

{{short description|Indian politician}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=May 2021}}
{{Infobox officeholder
| name = R. Balakrishna Pillai
| native_name = ആർ. ബാലകൃഷ്ണപിള്ള
| image = R Balakrishna Pillai.jpg
| birth_date = {{Birth date|df=yes|1935|03|08}}
| birth_place = [[Valakom, Kottarakara]], [[Travancore|Kingdom of Travancore]]
| nationality = Indian
| residence = Keezhoottu Puthen Veedu, Valakom, [[Kottarakara]], [[Kollam]]
| death_date = {{Death date and age|2021|05|03|1935|03|08|df=yes}}
| death_place = [[Kottarakara]], [[Kollam district|Kollam]], [[Kerala]], India
| office = Minister for Transport, [[Government of Kerala]]
| term_start = {{Start date|2003|03|10|df=yes}}
| term_end = {{End date|2004|08|29|df=yes}}
| predecessor =
| successor =
| term_start1 = {{Start date|1995|03|22|df=yes}}
| term_end1 = {{End date|1995|07|28|df=yes}}
| predecessor1 =
| successor1 =
| term_start2 = {{Start date|1991|06|24|df=yes}}
| term_end2 = {{End date|1995|03|16|df=yes}}
| office3 = Minister for Electricity, [[Government of Kerala]]
| term_start3 = 25 May 1986
| term_end3 = 25 March 1987
| predecessor3 =
| successor3 =
| term_start4 = 24 May 1982
| term_end4 = 5 June 1985
| predecessor4 =
| successor4 =
| term_start5 = 25 January 1980
| term_end5 = 20 October 1981
| office6 = Minister for Transport, [[Government of Kerala]]
| term_start6 = 26 December 1975
| term_end6 = 25 June 1976
| office7 = [[Member of Parliament, Lok Sabha]]
| term_start7 = 1971
| term_end7 = 1977
| constituency7 = [[Mavelikkara (Lok Sabha constituency)|Mavelikara]]
| predecessor7 = G.P. Mangalathumadom
| successor7 = B.K. Nair
| office8 = [[Member of the Legislative Assembly (India)|Member]] of the [[Kerala Legislative Assembly]]
| term_start8 = {{Start date|1977||}}
| term_end8 = {{End date|2006|05|12|df=yes}}
| constituency8 = [[Kottarakkara (State Assembly constituency)|Kottarakkara]]
| predecessor8 = A. Menon
| successor8 = [[P. Aisha Potty]]
| office9 = [[Member of the Legislative Assembly (India)|Member]] of the [[Kerala Legislative Assembly]]
| term_start9 = {{Start date|1960||}}
| term_end9 = {{End date|1965||}}
| constituency9 = [[Pathanapuram (State Assembly constituency)|Pathanapuram]]
| predecessor9 = N. Rajagopalan Nair
| successor9 = [[P. K. Raghavan]]
| office10 = Chairman of the Kerala State Welfare Corporation for Forward Communities
| term_start10 = {{Start date|2017|05|17|df=yes}}
| term_end10 = {{End date|2021|05|03|df=yes}}
| predecessor10 = Justice A.V. Ramakrishna Pillai
| successor10 = K.G. Premjith
| term_start11 = {{Start date|2013|07|23|df=yes}}
| term_end11 = {{End date|2015|01|26|df=yes}}
| predecessor11 = ''Office established''
| successor11 = Justice A.V. Ramakrishna Pillai
| party = [[Indian National Congress]] (1950s–1964) <br> [[Kerala Congress]] (1964–77, 1985–91) <br> [[Kerala Congress (B)]] (1977–85, 1991–2021)
| occupation = Politician
| spouse = Vatsala (died 2018)
| children = 3 (incl. [[K. B. Ganesh Kumar|Ganesh Kumar]])
| website =
| footnotes =
}}

'''Keezhoote Raman Balakrishna Pillai''' (8 March 1935 – 3 May 2021) was an Indian politician who served as minister of the state of [[Kerala]] in India, holding portfolios such as Transport and Electricity. He was a member of the [[Kerala Legislative Assembly]] from [[Kottarakkara (Assembly constituency)|Kottarakara constituency]] in [[Kollam district]] for almost three decades. He was the Chairman of [[Kerala Congress (Balakrishna Pillai)|Kerala Congress (B)]].<ref name=":1" /> Throughout his political career, Pillai remained a controversial figure in Kerala state politics. He was the first Kerala minister to be imprisoned for corruption.

''Gandeevam'', a biography of Pillai written by [[Vrindavanam Venugopalan]] with a foreword by [[Sooranad Kunjan Pillai]], was published by Viswakeralam Daily. Pillai's autobiography was published by [[DC Books]] in 2011. He also acted in two Malayalam movies in 1979 and 1980 - ''[[Vedikkettu]]'' and ''[[Ival Oru Naadody]]''. Prisoner 5990 is his autobiography.

==Personal life==
Balakrishna Pillai was born on 3 April 1935, in [[Valakom, Kottarakara|Valakom]] near Kottarakkara in Kollam district, as the son of Keezhoote Raman Pillai and Karthyayani Amma. His father was a wealthy [[Nair]] landlord with plenty of land in the present-day Kerala and [[Tamil Nadu]] states. He was married to Vatsala and has two daughters and a son, the latter, [[K. B. Ganesh Kumar]], is a film actor and politician who served as a state minister during 2001{{endash}}03 and 2011{{endash}}13.<ref>{{Cite web|title=മുന്‍മന്ത്രി ആര്‍. ബാലകൃഷ്ണ പിളള അന്തരിച്ചു|url=https://www.mathrubhumi.com/news/kerala/former-minister-r-balakrishna-pillai-passes-away-1.5637182|access-date=2021-06-26|website=Mathrubhumi|language=en}}</ref> His wife Vatsalakumari died on 3 January 2018 aged 76.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Balakrishna Pillai's wife passes away|url=https://english.mathrubhumi.com/news/kerala/balakrishna-pillai-s-wife-passes-away-1.2501861|access-date=2021-06-26|website=Mathrubhumi|language=en}}</ref>

Pillai died on 3 May 2021, at Vijaya hospital in [[Kottarakkara]].<ref>https://www.manoramanews.com/news/breaking-news/2021/05/03/balakrishna-pillai-passes-away.html</ref> He was admitted to the hospital a few days earlier owing to respiratory issues and was on ventilator support.<ref>{{Cite web|date=2021-04-29|title=Kerala Congress (B) supremo R Balakrishna Pillai hospitalised, on ventilator|url=https://www.thenewsminute.com/article/kerala-congress-b-supremo-r-balakrishna-pillai-hospitalised-ventilator-148035|access-date=2021-06-26|website=The News Minute|language=en}}</ref> His body was cremated with full state honours.

==Political career==

===Student politics===
R. Balakrishna Pillai was member of Thiruvathankur Students' Union (which later became Tirukochi Vidyarthi Federation and later Kerala Students' Union).<ref name=":2" />

===Indian National Congress===
Balakrishna Pillai later joined the [[Indian National Congress]] (INC) party. In 1960, he became member of the Kerala Pradesh Congress Committee executive and of the All India Congress Committee.<ref name=":2">{{Cite web|title=Kerala Congress B chairman Balakrishna Pillai passes away|url=https://www.onmanorama.com/news/kerala/2021/05/03/kerala-congress-b-leader-r-balakrishna-pillai-passed-away.html|access-date=2021-06-26|website=OnManorama}}</ref>

He was elected to the [[Kerala Legislative Assembly]] for the first time in 1960 from the [[Pathanapuram (State Assembly constituency)|Pathanapuram Assembly Constituency]] of [[Kollam district]], as an INC candidate, at the age of 25 and holds the record for becoming the youngest MLA of Kerala.<ref>{{Cite news|title=Kerala Congress (B) chairman R Balakrishna Pillai passes away|work=The Economic Times|url=https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/india/kerala-congress-b-chairman-r-balakrishna-pillai-passes-away/articleshow/82364151.cms|access-date=2021-06-26}}</ref>

===Kerala Congress formation===
In 1964, fifteen MLAs led by [[K. M. George (politician)|K. M. George]] (including Balakrishna Pillai) left the Congress and formed a regional party called the [[Kerala Congress]], with George as the chairman and Pillai as general secretary.
Pillai won the elections from his home constituency Kottarakara in 1965 but was defeated in the next two elections of 1967 and 1970. He was elected to the [[Lok Sabha]] in the 1971 General Election from [[Mavelikara]] constituency and served as the [[Member of Parliament]] (MP) until 1977.<ref name=":1">{{Cite news|last=Anand|first=G.|date=2021-05-03|title=Kerala Congress (B) chairman R. Balakrishna Pillai passes away|language=en-IN|work=The Hindu|url=https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/kerala/kerala-politician-r-balakrishna-pillai-passes-away/article34469669.ece|access-date=2021-06-26|issn=0971-751X}}</ref>

From December 1975 to June 1976, he served as the Minister for Transport, Excise and Jails in the Kerala Cabinet.<ref name=":0">{{Cite web|last1=May 4|first1=TNN / Updated|last2=2021|last3=Ist|first3=07:32|title=Kerala: Towering figure & a darling of controversies {{!}} Thiruvananthapuram News - Times of India|url=https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/thiruvananthapuram/towering-figure-a-darling-of-controversies/articleshow/82376672.cms|access-date=2021-06-26|website=The Times of India|language=en}}</ref>

===Kerala Congress split===
After the death of K. M. George in 1976, there was tussle for control of the party between Balakrishna Pillai and [[K. M. Mani]]. In 1977, the party split into the [[Kerala Congress (M)|Mani]] and [[Kerala Congress (B)|Pillai]] groups. He was re-elected to the state legislature in 1977 and then again in the general elections of 1980, 1982, 1987, 1991, 1996, and 2001, but was defeated in the 2006 election. His victory margin of 37,000 votes in 1980 remained a record for the State Assembly polls for more than a quarter century.<ref>{{Cite web|date=2021-05-03|title=Remembering R Balakrishna Pillai: A leader who played an important part in forming UDF|url=https://www.thenewsminute.com/article/remembering-r-balakrishna-pillai-leader-who-played-important-part-forming-udf-148243|access-date=2021-06-26|website=The News Minute|language=en}}</ref><ref name=":0" />

He was a founder member of [[United Democratic Front (India)|United Democratic Front]] (UDF). He was Minister for several years starting in different Ministries headed by [[C. Achutha Menon]], [[K. Karunakaran]], [[E. K. Nayanar]], and [[A. K. Antony]].<ref>{{Cite web|last=PTI|title=Kerala Congress (B) chairman R Balakrishna Pillai passes away|url=https://www.thehindubusinessline.com/news/national/kerala-congress-b-chairman-r-balakrishna-pillai-passes-away/article34469635.ece|access-date=2021-06-26|website=@businessline|language=en}}</ref>

==Punishment by Supreme Court==

The government appointed Justice [[K. Sukumaran (judge)|K. Sukumaran]] to inquire into allegations related to the [[Idamalayar Dam|Idamalayar]] and [[Kallada River|Kallada]] Dam construction projects.
Based on his report, R. Balakrishna Pillai and others were prosecuted by a Special Court.<ref name=NoForesight>{{cite web
|url=http://www.iptindia.org/wp-content/pdf/report/No-foresight-No-Follow-up-An-enquiry-into-the-relief-and-rehabilitation-process-in-the-earthquake-affected-areas-of-Gujarat.pdf
|date=December 2001
|title=NO FORESIGHT... NO FOLLOWUP
|publisher=IPT
|author=Justice K. Sukumaran
|accessdate=23 April 2012}}</ref>
The Supreme Court on 10 February 2011 sentenced R. Balakrishna Pillai and two others to one-year imprisonment for allegedly abusing their position in the award of a contract for the Edamalayar hydroelectric power project.<ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20150318125423/http://www.sify.com/news/apex-court-gives-one-year-jail-to-former-kerala-minister-news-national-lcklQgcfaad.html Apex court gives one-year jail to former Kerala minister]. Sify.com (10 February 2011). Retrieved on 2 December 2011.</ref>
The [[Supreme Court of India|apex court]] bench of Justices P. Sathasivam and B.S. Chauhan reversed the Kerala High Court judgment which had acquitted all three. Chief Minister [[V. S. Achuthanandan]] had moved the [[Supreme Court of India|Supreme Court]], in his personal capacity, challenging the verdict of acquittal and the apex court allowed Achuthanandan's appeal.
==Filmography==
* ''Mukhyamanthri''
* ''[[Vedikkettu]]''
* ''[[Ival Oru Naadody]]''
* Neelasaree

==References==
{{Reflist}}

{{Authority control}}
{{Left Democratic Front (Kerala)}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Pillai, R. Balakrishna}}
[[Category:1935 births]]
[[Category:2021 deaths]]
[[Category:Malayali politicians]]
[[Category:Kerala politicians]]
[[Category:People from Kollam district]]
[[Category:5th Lok Sabha members]]
[[Category:Lok Sabha members from Kerala]]
[[Category:Kerala MLAs 1960–1964]]
[[Category:Kerala MLAs 1977–1979]]
[[Category:Kerala MLAs 1987–1991]]
[[Category:Kerala MLAs 1996–2001]]
[[Category:Kerala MLAs 1982–1987]]
[[Category:Kerala MLAs 2001–2006]]
[[Category:Indian National Congress politicians from Kerala]]
[[Category:Kerala Congress (B) politicians]]
[[Category:Indian politicians convicted of crimes]]
[[Category:Kerala Congress politicians]]

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R. Balakrishna Pillai