Friends, family recall Kerala CM Satheesan as political brain since student days
Ranjith Thampy, Satheesan’s friend from Sacred Heart College in Thevara for the last 43 years, recalled an incident from the college union elections held in the early days of student politics. A prolific debater and orator, Satheesan was the leader of KSU, the student wing of the Congress in Kerala.
Speaking from his home here, Thampy said the KSU camp was worried about fielding an SFI presidential candidate who is quite popular on campus for his singing talent.
It was Satheesan’s idea to make the KSU presidential candidate an interim singer against his popular rival in the university elections.
“Later, we sat here on the porch of my car with our KSU presidential candidate and tried to train him to sing the Malayalam song ‘Nee Madhu Pakaru’,” Thampy recalled with a laugh. According to him, Satheesan then carefully transformed the situation into a campaign strategy.
“When the candidate went around the classrooms to campaign, Satheesan had already asked some KSU supporters to sit among the students and ask if our candidate could sing like the rival candidate who was already famous as a singer,” Thampy told PTI videos.
This question was the opening the KSU team needed. “Our candidate would sing that song in every classroom. He instantly connected with the students and ultimately won the election.” he said.
Looking back, Thampy believes that this episode reflects Satheesan’s sharp political acumen even as a student leader. “Satheesan was a strategist even at that young age,” he added.
Everyone who grew up with him or was part of his political journey confirms that he is sincere, compassionate and true to himself.
“I knew he had a bright political future because of the leadership qualities he demonstrated and his ability to maintain decent behavior even at a time when the campus had a very volatile political atmosphere,” said Father Austin Mulavarikkal, former vice principal of Thevara Sacred Heart College.
The priest, who was Satheesan’s mentor in college, said he was equally good at studies, read voraciously and got good grades despite being deeply involved in campus politics.
“Although we had to take disciplinary action against many students due to political turmoil on campus, I never had the opportunity to reprimand him,” Father Austin said.
The family too has never had a problem with Satheesan balancing politics and academics.
“He first studied at SV UP School in Nettoor and later at Sri Govinda Menon Higher Secondary School in Panangad. He later joined Sacred Heart College. He was a class leader since his UP school days and continued to do so in high school as well. He became very active in politics during his college days,” his eldest brother told PTI.
Satheesan has two elder brothers, two younger brothers and a younger sister.
His brother always said that he was both a good student and a good politician. “Usually parents worry when their children enter politics. But our mother was conscious of politics, so we never had any problems with her being active in politics,” he said.
Satheesan’s siblings prefer to stay away from the limelight and live simple lives in Nettoor, the village to which they are deeply attached.
Speaking on camera, one of his siblings said that the biggest influence on Satheesan was their mother. He recalled once telling his sons that after hearing Mahatma Gandhi talk about the absurdity of the caste system, he too began to think differently about it.
The staff and management of Sacred Heart College, Thevara are delighted to have their graduate become CM.
“We had great politicians like former finance ministers KM Mani and Thomas Isaac and many others who studied here. But VD Satheesan was the first among them to become the Chief Minister of the state,” said Franklin John, principal in-charge of the university.
Jayan, a close friend of Satheesan’s younger brother Ajayakumar and a neighbor of the family’s traditional home, Vadassery, also spoke highly of him.
“I am his younger brother’s friend, but to Satheesan, we are almost like family. Even then, we always saw him as a man of higher values and showed him this respect from a young age. He used to read a lot,” said Jayan, who now runs a provision shop near Satheesan’s ancestral home.
The family’s traditional home has since been demolished and the brothers have built separate houses on the property. Satheesan’s unmarried younger brother Ajayakumar continues to live there. Satheesan also has a share of the land.
“I believe Satheesan will build a house here on his land after retirement,” his brother said.
When told that there was no real retirement from politics, his brother said that Satheesan might not stay in politics for very long. “I don’t think he has any long-term plans in politics,” he said.
