Sixty-one years ago, a man stood at the High Court in Kerala, listening to the judge read out an order convicting him in a case of contempt of court. At the end of it, he was offered a choice — to pay a fine of Rs 100 or go to jail. He chose jail and refused to apologise. The man, Mathai Manjooran, was an editor, politician and freedom fighter who would go on to hold a ministerial position in the Kerala government.
Telegraph India dug out the old story as the case of advocate-activist Prashant Bhushan is making headlines. Bhushan, charged with contempt of court, refused to apologise and quoted Mahatma Gandhi at the Supreme Court, saying he does not ask for mercy but cheerfully submits to any punishment that the court may impose.
Unlike Bhushan, Manjooran had a partner in crime — Sudhakaran, his publisher. They had published in the Malayalam daily Kerala Prakasam, edited by Manjooran, a story on the death of six Congress workers after a clash with the ruling Communists in Thrissur in 1958. The case was sub judice and this led to the contempt of court.
While Manjooran was offered an option of Rs 100 fine instead of prison, his publisher Sudhakaran had to pay only Rs 50. But both of them refused to pay the fine and served their sentence in the Viyyur jail.
Like Bhushan, Manjooran received a lot of support. When he was released from prison a month later, Manjooran got a warm reception at the Swaraj round, four kilometers away from the jail.
Prison was not new to Manjooran. Soon after his graduation in 1933, he was jailed for months for taking part in the Kisan Labour movement. He was imprisoned several times during the freedom fight when he formed the Kerala Socialist Party.
Manjooran had earlier joined the Congress Socialist Party when he had to go underground. He was twice prohibited from entering the erstwhile princely state of Travancore.
In independent India, Manjooran became a Member of the Legislative Assembly, winning the election from the Madayi constituency in Kannur. He also became a member of the Rajya Sabha in 1952.
In 1967, he became minister of labour under Chief Minister EMS Namboodiripad and held the portfolio for two years. He passed away in January 1970.