K. R. Gouri (14 July 1919 – 11 May 2021), born Kalathilparambil Raman Gouri, commonly known as Gouri Amma, was an Indian politician from Alappuzha in central Kerala. She was one of the most prominent leaders of the Left movement in India. Born near Cherthala, K. R. Gouri studied at Maharaja's College and Trivandrum Law College. Refusing an offer from the Government of Travancore to be appointed a magistrate, she joined the Communist Party in 1948. She was elected to Travancore-Cochin Legislative Assembly in 1952 and 1954. She served as the Land Revenue or Social Welfare minister in the 1957, 1967 (Namboodiripad), 1980 and 1987 (Nayanar) Kerala ministries. As the Revenue Minister in the first Kerala ministry, she famously piloted the Kerala Agrarian Relations Bill. K. R. Gouri was expelled from Communist Party of India Marxist in 1994, and subsequently became a minister in the Congress-led Kerala Cabinet from 2001 to 2006. Early life Early career K. R. Gouri was born on 14 July 1919 to K. A. Raman and Parvathi Amma in a wealthy Ezhava family in Alappuzha, Travancore. She studied at Maharaja's College, Ernakulam and St. Teresa’s College, Ernakulam (Graduation in History). She obtained her law degree (B. L.) from Trivandrum Law College and enrolled as an advocate at Sherthalai. Gouri was the first woman from the Ezhava community to get a degree in law. She famously refused an offer from C. P. Ramaswami Aiyar, the Prime Minister of Travancore, to be appointed a government magistrate. She married her colleague T. V. Thomas in 1957. The couple was later estranged. In Travancore politics K. R. Gouri started her public life with the Quit India Movement and later joined the agitation for the merger Travancore with the state of India. She joined the Communist Party in 1948 (by this period, she had started working for the Party among coir workers in Alappuzha). She unsuccessfully ran for office from Sherthalai Constituency in the 1948 Travancore elections. Subsequently she underwent imprisonment and endured severe police torture. She was elected to the Travancore-Cochin Legislative Assembly in 1952 and 1954 (she was in prison throughout the election period). In Kerala politics In the first Kerala ministry The state of Kerala was constituted on 1 November 1956 (States Reorganization Act). In 1957, the Communist Party of India defeated the Indian National Congress in the first Kerala Legislative Assembly elections and, under E. M. S.