Com.KPK Nair now in our memories

  KP Krishnan Kutty Nair:

True Comrade among Trade Union Leaders

It was July/August 1994. I got a phone call from Com. KP Krishnan Kutty Nair, (popularly known as KPK or Krishnan Kutty) two days prior to filing of nomination papers for the election of office bearers and committee members for ABOA: Unit SBT for the period 1994-97. He requested me to contest as an executive member from Chennai, as Com.N.S. Muraleedharan Nair (NSM) desired me to join their panel of candidates.  I filed the nomination and won, partly due to my ‘popularity’ and mainly due to the popularity of NSM, KPK and other established leaders in our panel. A zonal office, outside Kerala, for the branches in Tamil Nadu and branches located in other states of India was formed in 1995. Again Com. Krishnan Kutty was the man behind in the executive committee’s decision to select me as the assistant secretary of ABOA: Unit SBT, for Chennai Zone. When I completed my term and moved to Thiruvananthapuram in 1997, NSM told me to contest for the assistant secretary position for Thiruvananthapuram Zone and Head Office. Since the election in those times were contested by candidates from two panels (NSM leading one side and Com.P. V. Sivasankara Pillai (Sivan), leading the other), panel and regional affinity decided the fate of most of the contestants. I was lucky enough to be among the winners list (persons from both panels got elected for different positions). Though I was close to Krishnan Kutty from 1994 itself, due to my role as a trainer for promotion classes and defence representative for officers facing domestic enquiries, the relationship got strengthened firmly, when I started working with him and the other office bearers in central office on a daily basis. 

Com. Krishnan Kutty, holding Organising Secretary position at that time, was the uniting thread for the office bearers (of different temperament and capabilities) both in central office and across India. Even during the agitation period against the top management in 1997-2000, he allowed the other leaders to be in the limelight, while working from behind. During my tenure in Thiruvananthapuram, I understood the value and importance of a comrade like Krishnan Kutty, as he was taking care of the day to day activities, editorial work and timely publication of the prestigious monthly publication ‘Connecting Link’ and arranging training classes and materials for career aspirants. In addition, engaging the comrades across the country for successful conduct of association activities, through constant phone calls, was his passion. He brought me, Com.Baburaj, the then treasurer and many other comrades into the active trade union fold. He rightly identified Com. Sasidharan Nair (Sasi), to bring back officers' co-operative society on its rails. Mr. Karunakaran, who was the full time office assistant for nearly two decades was nurtured from the beginning to play the “multitask role” by Com. Krishnan Kutty. There was a popular cartoon in  the first page of ‘Connecting Link’ at that time - “one easy chair, ‘Gandhi’ glass on the floor on a book” - reminding one of our future retirement days with pension on hand. The cartoonist is the most popular cartoonist in Kerala  viz. Com.Satheesh. He was brought in by Com. Krishnan Kutty. Satheesh used to recall those days, whenever I meet him in some functions. When I toured with Com. Krishnan Kutty during our election campaign throughout Kerala, I got a glimpse of his popularity as even an officer on probation was personally known to him. We, hailing from Tamil Nadu, always called him affectionately ‘Krishnan Kutty’, as we felt like talking to someone from our family. He treated everyone as a valuable human being with the kind of compassion that only he can match. The contributions made by NSM and for that matter, all officers in Central Office  to the officers’ community would not have been possible, had Com.Krishnan Kutty was not around in Central Office - 24/7 for 365 days a year! He and NSM will always be the ‘first’ in the list of trade union leaders, who neglected their families for the sake of officers’ welfare.

I lost touch with him after he took VRS in 2001. During this year, when the LMC members of ABOA: Unit SBT met in Ernakulam, I got his contact from Com. Baburaj. When I talked to him over phone, I could sense the excitement in his voice and the affection he had for me. I found him passionate enough to be part of the struggle for revision of pension for bankers, even now. I used to get regular updates on the subject from him. I felt unsettled on hearing his demise is an understatement.

Chiriyum, Snehavum, Athmarthadayum, munn-velichathil varan orikilum ishtamillada oru vyakthiyai ini kaanan kazhiyumo? Krishnan Kutty was a true comrade among trade union leaders.

Lal Salam

V. Viswanathan

Coimbatore 

25th September 2025.

(NSM and Krishnan Kutty came down from Thiruvananthapuram to attend my marriage reception in Chennai)