P T Thomas MLA dies, a leader with a strong environmental stand

KOCHI: KPCC working president P T Thomas MLA representing Thrikkakkara assembly died here on Wednesday. He was 71. He died while undergoing treatment for cancer. He had served as MLA four times and was also a former MP who represented the Idukki Lok Sabha constituency. He died at Velloor Hospital at 10.15 am today.

He was born to Thomas and Annamma of Upputhodu Puthiyaparambil at Rajamudi in Idukki on December 12 in 1950. His education was at Thodupuzha Newman College, Mar Ivanios College in Thiruvananthapuram, Ernakulam Maharajas College and Ernakulam Govt Law College.

He started his political career through KSU while in school. He had served as KSU Idukki district chief, state general secretary and state chief. In 1980 he became the state general secretary of the youth congress. In 2007 he became Idukki DCC chief. He had also served as the executive committee member of KPCC, AICC member, director of the national committee for youth welfare, editor of KSU mouthpiece Kalashala, editor of Cheppu magazine, state chairman of Cultural Organization and executive member of the Kerala Library Association. He won the 1991 and 2001 assembly elections from Thodupuzha and from Thrikkakara in 2016 and 2021. In 2009 he won the Idukki Lok Sabha constituency and became an MP. In the 1996 and 2006 assembly elections, he was defeated by P J Joseph.

P T Thomas had always taken a strong stand on environmental protection. Despite strong opposition to Thomas' stand to implement the Gadgil report, he was firm in it. His allegation that Kadambra River had polluted the operations of the Kitex company and the ensuing controversy were in news. He had authored a book, ‘ADB and Ideologies’. He leaves behind his wife Uma Thomas and children Vishnu Thomas and Vivek Thomas.