Veteran Congress leader and twice a member of Lok Sabha from Chirayankeezhu constituency, Thalekunnil Basheer, 79, died early Friday.
The end came at his family house at Vembayam, where he was convalescing from chronic heart disease. Doctors gave cardiac failure as the cause of death.
Mr. Basheer's wife, Suhra, sister of the late actor Prem Nazir, had died in 2013. His son Nishanth, an IT expert based in London and his daughter, Nishana, survive him.
Entry into politics
Mr. Basheer had made his initial foray into electoral politics by winning the Kazhakuttam Legislative Assembly seat for Congress in 1977. He resigned the seat to make way for A.K. Antony to contest to the Assembly after Congress named him Chief Minister.
In 1984, Mr. Basheer won the Chirayankeezhu Lok Sabha seat and defended the constituency for Congress again in 1989.
A man of letters and writing, Mr. Basheer was a reluctant politician. He owned an enviable collection of books and maintained a sizeable library at home. He had published three books on politics, including one on the life and times of former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi.
The late leader maintained high ethical standards and often stayed away from the cut and thrust of mundane politics.
He had also served as District Congress Committee president, Thiruvananthapuram, and later as Kerala Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC) general secretary.
He had withdrawn from active politics following his wife's death and primarily confined himself to literary activities. His chronic heart ailment made him mostly homebound.
Leaders condole death
Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan offered his condolences to Mr. Basheer’s family. He said Basheer embodied the original values of Congress politics. Mr. Basheer could transcend the pressures of partisan politics to champion people’s causes.
Leader of Opposition V. D. Satheesan described Mr. Basheer as a model for Congress workers to emulate. The late veteran maintained high ethical standards in public life and possessed an endearing personality. He was also an active presence in Kerala's cultural sphere.
KPCC president K. Sudhakaran, MP, recalled visiting Mr. Basheer at home after assuming office. “Though fatigued by illness, he maintained a cheerful disposition and a sharp mind”.
Congress leader Ramesh Chennithala described Mr. Basheer as a ‘living encyclopedia’. He said Mr. Basheer was a polymath who could hold his own in any discourse. The Congress would miss him sorely.
Thiruvanchoor Radhakrishnan, MLA, and Mr. Basheer's classmate in college, remembered him as an empathetic and loyal friend.
Mr. Basheer's mortal remains would be brought to Indira Bhavan and the DCC office for the public to pay homage on Saturday. Later, it will be interred with State honours at the Perumal Muslim Jamaat Kabaristan.
