Commemorative stamp of C Kesavan released

A commemorative postage stamp of veteran freedom fighter and Chief Minister of erstwhile Travancore-Kochi C Kesavan was released at a function here today.

The stamp is certainly a fitting homage to the memory of the hero of the 'abstention movement' of the 1930s, Governor P Sathasivam said.

The governor released the stamp by handing it over to state minister for culture A K Balan.

What made Kesavan different from the politicians of his time was that he avoided the path of compromise and chose to be a life-long rebel, dissatisfied and disturbed by the injustice and inequality that characterised Kerala society in the first half of the 20th century, the governor said.

He was marked by a firm commitment to ideals, uncompromising courage to stand up for what he believed in and an impeccable integrity in personal and social life, he said.

"These remarkable traits of late Kesavan, the grand rebel and restless revolutionary, had enriched Kerala's political sphere during the forties and fifties, earning him great respect and admiration," he added.

State PWD Minister G Sudhakaran and Opposition leader in the state assembly Ramesh Chennithala and Chief Post Master General (Kerala) Sharda Sampath were among those who attended the function.

The abstention movement started as a protest against constitutional reforms in 1932.