Should thank Gouri Amma for women police and nurses leading a married life

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: We need to thank one person for women cops and nurses leading a happy married life. K R Gouri Amma was storm in the Kerala politics. The ban on marriage was changed when she was the minister. It was Gouri Amma who put an end to the discrimination against women in the post of head mistress in schools. We are indebted to her for the revolutionary measures taken to ensure the welfare of women.

Gouri Amma holds the rare record of being a woman leader in Indian democracy. The longest-serving woman legislator and minister, the oldest woman minister. She was born as the daughter of Arumuri Parambil Parvathi Amma and Kalathilparambil Raman. She completed her college education at Maharaja's College, Ernakulam and at St Teresa's College, Ernakulam. She studied law from Government Law College, Ernakulam. She became active in politics during this time.

She received membership of the Communist Party from P Krishna Pillai. She became active in trade unions and farmers' organizations. Her first fight for the Travancore Legislative Assembly was in 1948. Although she lost in the Cherthala bicameral constituency, the flames did not subside. She was a member of the Tiru-Kochi Legislative Assembly in 1952 and 1951. She was a member of the Kerala Legislative Assembly 11 times. In the first election of 1957, she won the Cherthala constituency as a candidate of the Undivided Communist Party and became a minister. She married Communist leader and minister T V Thomas during this time. Gouri Amma initiated the introduction of several bills in the assembly, including land reform, anti-corruption and women's bill. Sacrifice and dedication led her. Even when she looked at the plight of others with tenderness, she used to say bluntly looking at anyone's face. Even when the party rejected her she formed an alternative movement called the JSS and fought like a rock and that is the determination of Gouri Amma.