Founding leader of the Kerala Congress and former minister R. Balakrishna Pillai passed away on Monday. He was 87. Pillai, who had been admitted to a private hospital in Kottarakkara with breathing difficulties, was shifted to a hospital after his condition worsened on Friday.
The funeral will be held at his home by 5.30pm on Monday. The octogenarian had been holding the office of Chairman, Kerala State Welfare Corporation for Forward Communities. He was also the Chairman of Kerala Congress (B) and a Director Board Member of the Nair Service Society (NSS). Pillai took ill while leading the recent election campaign on behalf of his son and sitting MLA K.B.Ganesh Kumar in Pathanapuram Assembly.
Born to Keezhoote Raman Pillai, former member of the Sree Moolam Praja Sabha, and Karthyayini Amma on April 7, 1934, at Valakom, Kottarakkara, Pillai was active in campus politics before taking up mainstream politics. He was associated with the Thiruvithamcore (Travancore) Students’ Union, which later became the Thiru-Kochi Students’ Federation.
Pillai, who later joined the Congress, functioned as a member of both the Kerala Pradesh Congress Committee and All-India Congress Committee. He was among the 15 Congress legislators who quit the party and joined hands with K.M. George to form the Kerala Congress in 1964.
