Kochi: P P Mukundan (78), senior BJP leader and former state organizational general secretary of the party, passed away at a private hospital in Kochi on Wednesday.
He was undergoing treatment for respiratory problems.
Noted for his distinct stand on various issues, Mukundan had occupied crucial leadership posts in RSS as well as BJP for a long period.
Mukundan was born on December 9, 1946 as the second son of Krishnan Nair and Kalyani Amma of Kolangarayath Tharavadu, Kottiyoor in Kannur. He studied at Manathala Upper Primary School and St Joseph’s High School, Peravoor.
As a high school student, Mukundan was attracted to the activities of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) and when a ‘sakha’ (unit) of the organisation was started at Manathala, he became a ‘swayamsevak’ (member). In 1965, Mukundan worked as a ‘pracharak’ (active worker) of the RSS in Kannur district. Later in 1967, he was pracharak at Chengannur taluk and in 1972 at Thrissur district.
When Emergency was declared in 1975, Mukundan was arrested and jailed. He subsequently spent 21 months in Viyyur Central Prison.
Mukundan was released from prison two months after the Emergency was lifted in 1977, following which he worked for around 25 years in Kozhikode and Thiruvananthapuram as ‘vibhak pracharak’ and ‘pranthiya sampark pramukh’, which are senior positions in the RSS.
The mainstream political parties took note of Mukundan when a Hindu Sanghamam was organised at Putharikandam Ground in Thiruvananthapuram. He was soon appointed as BJP’s state organizational general secretary in 1991, a post which he occupied till 2004.
Mukundan was among the leading figures of the alliance formed by the BJP with Congress and the Indian Union Muslim League during the Assembly elections in Kerala in 1991.
Incidentally, Mukundan maintained close personal friendships with several leaders of opposing political parties such as K Karunakaran of the Congress and Pannian Raveendran of the CPI. “Those belonging to other parties are not our enemies. They are, instead, only political adversaries. We should always keep in mind that today’s Communist will be tomorrow’s BJP member,” said Mukundan.
In 2004, Mukundan was appointed as BJP’s organizational secretary for the region covering Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Pondicherry and Andaman & Nicobar.
Along with his political activities for the BJP, Mukundan worked for various other organisations. He was a member of Doctor Keshav Baliram Hedgewar Birth Centenary Charitable Trust and joint secretary of the organisation formed to carry out agitations related to temples.
Mukundan also was managing director of ‘Janmabhumi’, the mouthpiece of the BJP, from 1988 to 1995.
Later, Mukundan took a break from active politics in 2006. He kept away from BJP’s functions and was reported to have developed differences with the RSS leadership. However, even during this period, Mukundan always stressed that he was a staunch RSS worker.
By 2022, Mukundan returned to the BJP.
Mukundan, who has won several awards for public service, was a bachelor. He is survived by brothers P P Chandran and P P Ganesan. Another brother Kunhiraman had predeceased Mukundan.
