Date:06/07/2007 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2007/07/06/stories/2007070660300400.htm

Kerala - Thiruvananthapuram

Karunakaran turns 89

Special Correspondent

Thiruvananthapuram: It was a special day for veteran K Karunakaran. He turned 89. But that alone did not make it special for the man who has seen political ups and downs in a long career spanning decades. The occasion was special because he could celebrate his birthday with former colleagues in the Congress. The first such get-together after Karunakaran left the party with his son and followers. Defence Minister A K Antony was present. So were AICC general secretary Veerappa Moily, KPCC president Ramesh Chennithala, Thennala Balakrishna Pillai, MP.

Usually a good host, Karunakaran for the first time did not know what to do and what to say when the Congress leaders turned up together to wish him. For a minute, time appeared to stand still for him as he was overwhelmed by their presence. It took quite a while for him to recover and control his emotions. Several prominent leaders, including those who owed their political careers to Mr. Karunakaran, came to wish him. P. Sankaran, P.U. Radhakrishnan, E.M. Agusthy, and G. Sugathan, who had left him at one point or other, came quite early. V.S. Siva Kumar, Mullappally Ramachandran, M.I. Shanavaz, T.N. Pratapan, MLA, K. Mohan Kumar, former MLA, and others followed their seniors from the KPCC.