C. N. Balakrishnan (18 November 1934 – 10 December 2018) was an Indian politician. He was the minister for Co-operation, Khadi and Village Industries and Pollution Control -Government of Kerala under the Oommen Chandy Ministry. He became the representative in the Wadakkanchery constituency in Kerala after winning in the 2011 Assembly elections.
Early life
Son of Shri Narayanan Ezhuthachan and Smt. Paruamma; he was born at Puzhakkal near Thrissur on 18 November 1934. He was a political and social worker. He completed his education in Sree Ramakrishnasramam school. C. N. Balakrishnan started his life as a Khadi worker. Later he married Thankamoney teacher who is a member of Arakkal family, followed by two daughters C. B. Geetha and Mini Balram.
C. N. Balakrishnan was always close to the leader K. Karunakaran. He worked along with Karunakaran for more than 50 years. C. N. Balakrishnan was a strong leader in cooperative unions. He came into cooperative unions by forming fisherman society. He led the Thrissur milk supply union and Puranattukara service cooperative union. C. N. Balakrishnan also became the vice-president and subsequently, the president of district cooperative bank.
Political life
C. N. Balakrishnan came in politics when he was a librarian of Puzhakkal library. C. N. Balakrishnan was always with local people and he worked a lot for Khadi industries and its development. He was association president of Kerala Khadi and village industries association for 32 years. In congress party, he was KPCC treasurer for many years. For thirty years he worked in Thrissur and gave leadership to Indian National Congress Party in Thrissur and was also Thrissur DCC president for fifteen years. C. N. Balakrishnan is also known as congress manager because of his ability to solve problems without hurting anyone.
C. N. Balakrishnan came in election for the first time at an age of 75 and he was able to win from Wadakkanchery constituency in 2011 Kerala assembly election. He defeated N. R. Balan of CPIM with 6685 votes.
Two personalities who influenced C. N. Balakrishnan most were late V. R. Krishnan Ezhuthachan, his socio-political guru and late K. Karunakaran whose close associate he was in Thrissur for 50 years. Following the footsteps of V. R. Krishnan Ezhuthachan he entered the Khadi movement in the early years of his life as a Khadi worker. He strengthened the activities of Kerala Khadi Village Industries Association and he has been working as its president and he continued in this position. It is because of the untiring efforts of Shri. C. N. Balakrishnan that about 2000 women are still employed in the Khadi sector in Thrissur district. He was also the State President of Kerala Khadi & Village Industries Association which coordinates the activities of Khadi movements in the State. The Kerala Khadi and Village Industries Association presided over by him received the National Award for the Best Organization in the Khadi and Village Industries sector in 2008. He has been giving leadership to improve the Khadi sector.