A life-changing moment for P.N. Vasudeva Rao was on the day he garlanded Mahatma Gandhi on the latter’s visit to Kochi in the 1930s. From that day the young man took a vow to don only khadi and be an ally of the Indian National Congress. “He became a Congress supporter and remained one till his end in 1996,” says his 57-year-old son Suresh Rao and current proprietor of Vasant Vihar hotel in Thoppumpady.

Vasudeva Rao, a businessman and a philanthropist, chose a unique way to be a friend of the Congress party. He decided to not only open his heart but also the services of his hotel, Vasant Vihar, for party work for free. He offered Room No. 18 in the hotel to be the unofficial party den and it remains so till date.

Vasant Vihar opened as a lodge with six rooms in 1937. The gate led to a 40 cents open space that fell behind the rooms, which were on its either side. The rooms were on top of shops and faced the main road. In the same year Vasudeva Rao opened Cochin Café, a pure vegetarian hotel, opposite Vasant Vihar. “All tea and food came from there as it was the first hotel to get a sugar license,” says Suresh.

As the years went by and political activities, especially associated with the freedom movement, gained momentum, Vasudeva Rao too began getting more seriously involved in assisting the Congress. In 1958 he stood for the Mattancherry Municipal Council Elections from Karuvelippady but lost by a narrow margin of eight votes. “Our house was used as the polling booth. After the loss my father abandoned his desire to join active politics, but he decided to help the party in all possible ways,” says Suresh. In 1967 when the new wing of Vasant Vihar was inaugurated Vasudeva Rao dedicated Room No 18 for Congress party work.

K.K. Kunjachen, former president of Youth Congress Mattancherry, reminiscences, “Room no 18 was like a party den. Notable congressmen like A.K. Antony, Vayalar Ravi, M.A. John used to frequent the place to meet local leaders like M.K. Dharmadev and T.K. Jayaram. Vasudeva Rao was a staunch Congress loyalist and would see that party workers got tea and food. We could use the telephone services at all times. He never said ‘no’ to a Congress worker. That relationship continues even today.”

An important event that Kunjachen recalls is the assembling of party workers on their padayatra that started from Kasargod, and was led by congress leader V.M. Sudheeran. A public meeting was held on the grounds on the hotel.

Suresh says that the open space on the premises was the reason that facilitated public meetings. K.J. Paul, one of the founders of KSU, the student’s wing of the Congress remembers party stalwarts like P.T. Jacob, K.K. Vishwanathan and Dara Singh holding discussions in the room. “They were close friends of my father,” says Suresh adding that in those days the party stressed on simple, Spartan living. Nobody would sit on chairs. There was a paya (mat) shop close by and mats were rolled out on the floor for seating. Chairs were used much later.”

Kunjachen says that Room No 18 was mainly used for conducting training sessions for newly inducted Congress workers. He remembers a young A.K. Antony, Alexander Parambithara and M.A. John take classes here. “In 1968 we had about 300 members. It was a high point,” he says with a nostalgic look.

Many former Congress party workers still hangout at the hotel for old time’s sake. They remember the staging of a drama called Police Station during the period of Emergency. “It was staged under police protection,” says one from among them. The women’s cell of the party called ‘Priyadarshini’ staged a comedy show called, Vanitha Varsham too. Suresh remembers important trade union leaders like M.K. Raghavan and A. Kochunni frequenting the hotel for meetings. “The Cochin Port was very active those days and political leaders held their meetings with labour leaders here.”

Room No 18 does not see any of its high profile visitors of yore or host livid political meetings of a different time.

Its interiors, like a classroom, remain unchanged except that mats have given way to rows of wooden chairs and an office table. A white board is crooked behind. The cupboards in the wall remain closed with locks. Each piece of stolid furniture offers little; except for a small brown fan that whirrs excitedly from the ceiling.

Suresh says, “It’s more than 50 years old; it was brought from Cochin Cafe. It used to hang over the cashier’s table.”

Perhaps the fan, a witness to the activities of the room, in its lively whirr, wishes to narrate the stories that unfolded then and there.

source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> Features> MetroPlus> Society / by Priyadershini S / Kochi – June 20th, 2014