Kerala CPM leader P Govindapillai passes away

   മാര്‍ക്സിസ്റ്റ് സൈദ്ധാന്തികനും ചിന്തകനും എഴുത്തുകാരനുമായിരുന്ന പി. ഗോവിന്ദപ്പിള്ള അന്തരിച്ചു. 86 വയസ്സായിരുന്നു. വ്യാഴായ്ച രാത്രി 11.30ഓടെയായിരുന്നു അന്ത്യം. വാര്‍ധക്യ സഹജമായ അസുഖങ്ങളെത്തുടര്‍ന്ന് ഏതാനും ദിവസങ്ങളായി തിരുവനന്തപുരം കിംസ് ആശുപത്രിയില്‍ ചികില്‍സയിലായിരുന്നു

 P Govindapillai, the tallest ideologue in theCPM after EMS, died here at around 11.10pm on Thursday. He had been undergoing treatment at a private hospital owing to age related illness. He was 86 

Govinda Pillai, who is an author of several books on Communism, Marxism and international affairs had served as the chief editor of Desabhimani daily and weekly. A legislator who was part of the Travancore-Cochin assembly and Kerala Assembly, PG was never attracted to Parliamentary politics. 

He joined the Communist party in 1946 and became a state committee member in 1953. During the split, Govindapillai chose to be with the CPM along with AKG and EMS. A master with international affairs Govindapillai's columns in CPM mouthpiece Desabhimani and Kairali TV had a number of followers. An avid book buff who spent hours continuously in reading, Govindapillai had a vast collection of books sourced from different parts of the world. 

After the death of EMS, Govindapillai was tipped to be the natural ideological successor of him in the party. However, his criticism against EMS during an interview with a vernacular magazine didn't go along well with the party. He was demoted from the CPM state committee owing to that incident. He had an active public life till a few days ago when was hospitalized.He also served as the chairman of Kerala Press Academy and Kerala State Film Development Corporation. Govindapillai is the recipient of several awards including the Kerala Sahitya Academy award for literary criticism.