Kochi – Former minister and senior Congress leader Vayalar Ravi’s eyes filled with tears when he walked back to his memories. In Kochi, he was at the Town Hall to receive the PS John Endowment Award of the Ernakulam Press Club from Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan. After receiving the award, he spoke openly about it. “I felt this was a program that made it difficult for the mind. P. S. John was an old friend” and dived into his memories.
While speaking after presenting the PS John Endowment award to Vayalar Ravi, the Chief Minister said, “Vayalar Ravi and Mercy Ravi had such a broken marriage”, after shaking his head, he was looking down and wiping his eyes. The chief minister described Vayalar Ravi as a person who has a place among the Congress leaders alive today. It is a pleasure to present this award to Vayalar Ravi who has made Kerala politics vibrant and energetic. PS John is a value-oriented person in the field of journalism. Like Vayalar Ravi, he propounded the values that the new generation should imbibe. Both of them knew each other and worked closely with each other. Therefore, P.S. The Chief Minister said that there is special propriety in giving the award named after John to Vayalar Ravi.
“Vayalar Ravi is one of the many prominent figures that Kerala has given to national politics. He is a remarkable personality on many levels as an accomplished parliamentarian, an able legislator, an efficient administrator and an orator. When he was a minister in Kerala and at the Centre, he worked for the common interests of Kerala and Keralites. The expatriate community still remembers with gratitude the many things he did when he was the Expatriate Welfare Minister.
Whenever one thinks of Vayalar Ravi, his exemplary marriage also comes to mind. We cannot end talking about Vayalar Ravi without talking about Mercy Ravi. They were such a close couple. It can be called exemplary reciprocity. Mercy was a leader in her own right. When the two leaders came together, it became a special relationship that benefited each other in their political activities. Ravi had to learn from Mercy and Mercy from Ravi. In that sense, it becomes a model marriage.
Mercy’s untimely departure has left Vayalar Ravi in the condition of a bird with broken wings. From that day Vayalar Ravi slowly began to withdraw from the state of public activity. Everyone who knew him knew that he found life without Mercy very difficult. Vayalar Ravi was extremely secular. That secularism was reflected in the public and private spheres. He was not affected by caste or communalism. No such spectacles were used to see and accept goodness as goodness. The new generations in politics should copy that broad human perspective in their lives.
He did not cut off personal relationships because of political opposition. He valued personal relationships. He was always willing to understand political differences and see them as such. Many cases were filed against student leaders during the emergency. Many cases persisted even after the Emergency. Many student leaders were overwhelmed. On that day, some students also met the administrators. Demanded to withdraw as political cases. Prominent leaders resigned.
Vayalar Ravi visited him when he became Home Minister. What can be done about it? Vayalar Ravi’s was full of political positions that many people find strange. No other Congress leader of his generation has radiated so much energy. The chief minister also said that the new generation in politics should copy Vayalar Ravi’s broad humanitarian vision.
The PS John Endowment Award has been instituted by the Ernakulam Press Club in memory of PS John, who was the former President of Ernakulam Press Club and was the Political Correspondent and Bureau Chief of Malayalam Manorama. Ernakulam Press Club President M.R. Harikumar presided over the function held at Ernakulam Town Hall. Malayalam Manorama Senior Associate Editor Jose Panachipuram delivered the memorial lecture.
Press Club Vice President Jijeesh Karunakaran presented the certificate. President MR Harikumar presented the memento of Ernakulam Press Club to Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan. Mayor M. Anil Kumar, Hibi Eden MP, T. J. Vinod MLA, State President of Kerala Journalists’ Union M. V. Vineetha, Press Club Secretary M. Sufi Muhammad, Treasurer Manu Shelley etc. spoke. Vayalar Ravi gave a reply speech.
English Summary: CM Pinarayi Vijayan about Vayalar Ravi and his personal and political life