During an open and frank conversation with Senior Journalist K A Johny at the Mathrubhumi International Festival of Letters 2024, veteran politician G Sudhakaran argued that there is no need for women's reservations in any field.

"I don't believe there is any need for women's reservations in any field of work. Those deserving, regardless of gender, caste, or creed, should be recognised with responsibilities and positions," he said. 

During the conversation, Sudhakaran touched upon a variety of topics, including his decision to cease wearing a wristwatch since the national emergency.

When Indira Gandhi declared the National Emergency in 1975, Sudhakaran, along with veteran leader M A Baby and other Communist leaders who were then student leaders, were arrested by the police for opposing the Centre's decision and severely thrashed at the police station. 

Reflecting on the episode, he recollected, "Baby, being tall, suffered significant injuries during the police brutality. Fortunately, due to my shorter stature, I managed to evade severe beatings, but my wristwatch broke in my defence to avoid being hit. Since that moment, I have refrained from wearing a wristwatch."

"Born into a middle-class household, I used to assist my father with farming before going to school. I have served as a Minister of State twice, a feat shared only by E K Nayanar and K.R. Gouri Amma. I was elected four times to the Legislative Assembly and have been a member of the Communist Party for 60 years. My personal development is the product of my extensive political experience and association with great leaders." 

Sudhakaran also recounted his memories of the late K.R. Gouri Amma and explained the reason why she didn't win the race for Kerala Chief Minister's office in 1986. 

"The Communist Party manifesto specifies that certain conditions must be met to become Chief Minister. Gouri Amma would not have met the criteria for selection. I don't believe there is any need for women's reservations in any field of work. Those deserving, regardless of gender, caste, or creed, should be recognised with responsibilities and positions," he said. 

As long as the manifesto and the party program are in place, there is no cause for concern for any individual position or power. Those deserving will be considered for the post," he added. 

When asked about Jyoti Basu (Former Chief Minister of West Bengal) not being considered for the position of Prime Minister, Sudhakaran said, "It's a mistake to claim that Basu should have been appointed as Prime Minister. He did not meet the party's selection criterion for PM. Even if Basu had been Prime Minister at the time, the party's current condition in Bengal would have remained unchanged." 

Sudhakaran compared Indira Gandhi to Narendra Modi, stating, "When Indira Gandhi declared an emergency in the country, the opposition was placed in jail. Now that Modi is in power, the country has become an open jail. Indira Gandhi's great leadership qualities were overshadowed by her authoritarian nature, which contributed to her decline in popularity. Modi is an RSS product, and democracy is an external accessory to him."

When asked about his writing, Sudhakaran mentioned that the intellectual contexts in poetry and story in general are against autocracy. 

The politician addressed the recent controversy surrounding Balachandran Chullikkad and Satchidanandan in relation to Sreekumaran Thampy's 'Kerala song' for the state government. 

"Chullikkad pointed out an issue for which the academy provided a solution. It should've been enough to resolve the issue. Instead, Satchidanandan made a series of errors in dealing with the issues. He should have resolved the issue under wraps rather than in public. When we analyse the contributions of Sreekumaran Thampy and Satchidanandan, we clearly position Sreekumaran Thampy above Satchidanandan for his skill in writing," he opined.

Sudhakaran was proud that his political knowledge and steadfast faith in the communist ideology were the result of attending party classes of top leaders like Sundarayya and Jyoti Basu. "Party lessons today are less effective than they were in the past. There are now fewer experienced instructors but more party members," he added.