M. A. Kuttappan
{{Short description|Indian politician (1947–2023)}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=November 2023}}
{{infobox politician
| name = M. A. Kuttappan
| image = Dr.M.A.Kuttappan.jpg
| caption =
| birth_date = {{Birth date|1947|4|12|df=y}}
| birth_place = Mallappally, Pathanamthitta district, Kerala
| death_date = {{death date and age|2023|06|20|1947|04|12|df=yes}}
| death_place = Kochi, Eranakulam district, Kerala
| office = Minister for Welfare of Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes and Backward Classes
| term_start = 26 May 2001
| term_end= 29 August 2004
| predecessor = K. Radhakrishnan
| successor = A.P. Anil Kumar
| office2 = Member of the Legislative Assembly
| constituency2 =Wandoor constituency
| term_start2 = 1980
| term_end2= 1982
| predecessor2 = Vella Eacharan
| successor2 =
| constituency3 =Chelakkara constituency
| term_start3 = 1987
| term_end3= 1991
| predecessor3 = K. K. Balakrishnan
| successor3 =
| constituency4 =Njarakkal constituency
| term_start4 = 1996
| term_end4= 2001
| constituency5 =Njarakkal constituency
| term_start5 = 2001
| term_end5= 2006
| party = Indian National Congress
| spouse = Beeby John
| children = 2
| year = 2023
| date = 9 August
| source = http://www.stateofkerala.in/niyamasabha/m_a_kuttappan.php stateofkerala
}}
M. A. Kuttappan (12 April 1947 – 20 June 2023) was an Indian National Congress politician from Kerala, India. Elected as Member of the Legislative Assembly four times, he also served as the Minister for Welfare of Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes and Backward Classes in the Third Antony ministry from 2001 to 2004 and as the Chief Whip of the Congress in the 10th Kerala Assembly.
Biography
Kuttappan was born on 12 April 1947, to Ayyappan and Kalyani in a Dalit family in Valakkuzhy, Mallappalli Taluk in present-day Pathanamthitta District of Kerala.{{Cite web |title=Former minister, Congress veteran MA Kuttappan no more |url=https://www.onmanorama.com/news/kerala/2023/06/21/former-minister-congress-veteran-ma-kuttappan-dead.html |access-date=8 August 2023 |website=OnManorama |publisher=Malayala Manorama |archive-date=10 August 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230810230905/https://www.onmanorama.com/news/kerala/2023/06/21/former-minister-congress-veteran-ma-kuttappan-dead.html |url-status=live }} He received his MBBS from Kottayam Medical College in 1977 and his MS from Thiruvananthapuram Medical College in 1979.{{Cite web |date=21 June 2023 |title=രാഷ്ട്രീയക്കാരനാകാൻ ഡോക്ടർജോലി രാജിവെച്ചു; അയിത്തത്തോടും വിശപ്പിനോടും പൊരുതിയ ജീവിതം |url=https://www.mathrubhumi.com/amp/news/kerala/congress-leader-former-minister-ma-kuttappan-passes-away-life-story-profile-1.8662294 |access-date=9 August 2023 |website=Mathrubhumi |archive-date=10 August 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230810230126/https://www.mathrubhumi.com/amp/news/kerala/congress-leader-former-minister-ma-kuttappan-passes-away-life-story-profile-1.8662294 |url-status=live }}
Before joining politics, he served as a tutor in pediatric surgery from 1973 to 1975 in Government T D Medical College, Alappuzha, for five years from 1975 to 1980 as an assistant surgeon in the Kerala health services department and four years as a medical officer in the Cochin Port Trust Hospital, from 1983 to 1987.{{Cite web|url=https://www.mathrubhumi.com/news/kerala/former-minister-ma-kuttappan-passed-away-1.8660313|title=മുൻ മന്ത്രി എം.എ.കുട്ടപ്പൻ അന്തരിച്ചു|access-date=8 August 2023|date=20 June 2023|publisher=Mathrubhumi|language=ml|archive-date=17 August 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230817005636/https://www.mathrubhumi.com/news/kerala/former-minister-ma-kuttappan-passed-away-1.8660313|url-status=live}}{{Cite web |last=Suresh |first=Sreelakshmi |last2=stateofkerala.in |title=Kerala State - Everything about Kerala |url=http://www.stateofkerala.in/niyamasabha/m_a_kuttappan.php |access-date=9 August 2023 |website=www.stateofkerala.in |language=en |archive-date=10 August 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230810230619/http://www.stateofkerala.in/niyamasabha/m_a_kuttappan.php |url-status=live }}
He has also served as a member of the Khadi and Village Industries Commission, a member of the Southern Railway Recruitment Board, a member of the Calicut University Senate and a member of the KPCC Executive Committee.
=Personal life and death=
Kuttappan and his wife Beeby John have two sons.{{Cite web |title=Members - Kerala Legislature |url=http://www.niyamasabha.org/codes/members/m369.htm |access-date=9 August 2023 |website=www.niyamasabha.org |archive-date=22 November 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221122100433/http://www.niyamasabha.org/codes/members/m369.htm |url-status=live }} After leaving Pathanamthitta, he lived with his family in Saket, Nivya Nagar, Perandur in Ernakulam district. He died on 20 June 2023, in a private hospital in Kochi.
Political career
Kuttappan got attracted to mainstream politics and became active in organizational activities while serving as house surgeon at Ernakulam General Hospital from Kottayam Medical College.{{Cite web|url=https://malayalam.indiatoday.in/keralam/story/ma-kuttappan-former-minister-ma-grandfather-passed-away-culture-today-601669-2023-06-21|title=MA Kuttappan: മുൻമന്ത്രി എം.എ. കുട്ടപ്പൻ അന്തരിച്ചു; സംസ്കാരം ഇന്ന്|access-date=8 August 2023|publisher=India Today|language=ml|archive-date=10 August 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230810230302/https://malayalam.indiatoday.in/keralam/story/ma-kuttappan-former-minister-ma-grandfather-passed-away-culture-today-601669-2023-06-21|url-status=live}} He then resigned from the job to pursue full-time political activity. Kuttappan joined the Indian National Congress in 1978 through the Congress Reform Committee.
In 1980, Kuttappan was first elected to the Kerala Legislative Assembly from Wandur constituency.{{Cite web|url=https://www.madhyamam.com/kerala/ma-kuttappan-congress-leader-story-kerala-news/2018/jan/15/415719|title=ആരും അറിയാതെ, ഒന്നും ഓർക്കാതെ എം.എ.കുട്ടപ്പൻ|publisher=Madhyamam|access-date=8 August 2023|last=|first=|date=15 January 2018|language=ml|archive-date=10 August 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230810230245/https://www.madhyamam.com/kerala/ma-kuttappan-congress-leader-story-kerala-news/2018/jan/15/415719|url-status=live}} He was then elected as MLA from Chelakara in 1987 and from Njarakkal in 1996 and 2001. From May 2001 to August 2004, he served as the Minister for Welfare of Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes and Backward Classes in the A. K. Antony cabinet.
Kuttappan was one of the members of A (led by A. K. Antony) group in Congress politics. The fight between the A and I (named after Indira Gandhi, led by Karunakaran) groups intensified and Oommen Chandy resigned from Karunakaran's cabinet because Kuttappan was denied Rajya Sabha seat on behalf of the group politics.{{Cite news |last=Choudhury |first=Shubhadeep |title=Oommen Chandy: A colossus of Kerala politics |work=Tribune India |url=https://www.tribuneindia.com/news/nation/oommen-chandy-a-colossus-of-kerala-politics-526910 |access-date=9 August 2023 |archive-date=11 August 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230811020514/https://www.tribuneindia.com/news/nation/oommen-chandy-a-colossus-of-kerala-politics-526910 |url-status=live }} Kuttappan, who was in the cabinet when Antony became the chief minister, lost his ministerial post when Oommen Chandy became the chief minister. It is believed that he lost his candidature in Njarakkal due to his later joining the I group.
In 2013, he suffered a stroke during the MA John memorial speech at Kuryanadu and following that he retired from political life due to ill health.{{Cite web |last= |title=ഡോ.എം.എ. കുട്ടപ്പന് അന്ത്യാഞ്ജലി |url=https://www.manoramaonline.com/news/kerala/2023/06/21/dr-ma-kuttappan-passed-away.html |access-date=9 August 2023 |website=ManoramaOnline |language=ml |publisher=Malayala Manorama |archive-date=10 August 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230810231945/https://www.manoramaonline.com/news/kerala/2023/06/21/dr-ma-kuttappan-passed-away.html |url-status=live }}{{Cite web |last=Prajeesh |first=Ram |title=മുൻമന്ത്രി എം എ കുട്ടപ്പൻ അന്തരിച്ചു |url=https://www.asianetnews.com/kerala-news/ex-minister-ma-kuttappan-passes-away-prm-rwkeq6 |access-date=9 August 2023 |website=Asianet News Network Pvt Ltd |language=ml |archive-date=10 August 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230810230542/https://www.asianetnews.com/kerala-news/ex-minister-ma-kuttappan-passes-away-prm-rwkeq6 |url-status=live }} Although he almost recovered his health through treatment, he did not enter active politics after that.
References
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Category:Indian National Congress politicians from Kerala
Category:Kerala MLAs 1980–1982
Category:Kerala MLAs 1987–1991
Category:Kerala MLAs 1991–1996