Melathu Veettil Raghavan (5 May 1933 – 9 November 2014) was a veteran Communist leader and a former Minister in Kerala state of India. He was the General Secretary of the

Communist Marxist Party Communist Marxist Party (CMP) was a political party in Kerala. The party was founded in 1986 when CPI(M) leader M. V. Raghavan was expelled from the CPI(M) due to a grave difference of opinion regarding the formation of alliances with the IUML ...

, an alliance partner in the United Democratic Front. Prior to the formation of the CMP he was a prominent leader of the Communist Party of India (Marxist). He was expelled from the CPI(M) following an inner party struggle in which he advocated alliance with the

Kerala Congress Kerala Congress is an Indian political party founded at Kottayam, Kerala in October, 1964, by a block of former Indian National Congress leaders led by K. M. George. The party is primarily active in central Kerala. The establishment of Kerala ...

and Indian Union Muslim League against the official line of keeping these two parties out of

Left Democratic Front The Left Democratic Front (LDF) is an alliance of left-wing political parties in the state of Kerala, India. It is the current ruling political alliance of Kerala, since 2016. It is one of the two major political alliances in Kerala, the oth ...

(LDF). He then formed the CMP and later joined the United Democratic Front (UDF). He was a minister in UDF governments a number of times. He belongs to Kannur district in the North Malabar area of Kerala. His district is one of the developing zones in the country. Raghavan set up the first co-operative sector medical college in the country,

Pariyaram Medical College Government Medical College Kannur, Pariyaram or Pariyaram Medical College was established in March 1993 at Pariyaram in Kannur district, Kerala state, South India. It was the first medical college to be established under the co operative secto ...

in Kannur District. He was the key person to build the first Visha Chikitsa Kendram (Snake Venom Removal Centre) in Pappinisseri, Kannur district. His other major achievement has been the setting up of a Snake Park in Dharmasala, which has become a major tourist attraction.

Positions held

* Member, 4th Kerala Legislative Assembly from Madayi – CPI(M) * Member, 5th Kerala Legislative Assembly from Thaliparamba – CPI(M) * Member, 6th Kerala Legislative Assembly from Kuthuparamba – CPI(M) * Member, 7th Kerala Legislative Assembly from Payyannur – CPI(M) * Member, 8th Kerala Legislative Assembly from Azhikode – CMP * Member, 9th Kerala Legislative Assembly from Kazhakkootam – CMP *Member, 11th Kerala Legislative Assembly from Trivandrum-West-CMP * Minister for Co-Operation, Government of Kerala, 24 June 1991 to 9 May 1996 * Minister for Co-Operation and Ports, Government of Kerala, 17 May 2001 to 20 April 2006 * President, Pappinissery Panchayat, Kannur (16 years)

Personal life

Raghavan was born to Shankaran Nambiar on 5 May 1933 in Kannur. He was married to Janaki. The couple have three sons, notable being

M. V. Nikesh Kumar M. V. Nikesh Kumar (born 7 October 1973) is an Indian journalist from the state of Kerala. He is the managing director of Reporter TV, a Malayalam news channel. As a Communist Party of India (Marxist) candidate, he lost to K. M. Shaji of India ...

, a journalist and a daughter. Since 2005, Raghavan was bed-ridden with advanced Parkinson's disease. He died on 9 November 2014. at the age of 81. He was cremated with full state honours at Payyambalam Beach Crematorium, near the memorials of Swadeshabhimani Ramakrishna Pillai,

A. K. Gopalan Ayillyath Kuttiari Gopalan (1 October 1904 – 22 March 1977), popularly known as A. K. Gopalan or AKG, was an Indian communist politician. He was one of 16 Communist Party of India members elected to the first Lok Sabha in 1952. Later he beca ...

K. G. Marar Kuruvannil Govindan Marar (17 September 1934 – 25 April 1995) was an Indian social worker, politician, former State president of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in Kerala, India India, officially the Republic of India (Hindi: ), is a ...

and

E. K. Nayanar Erambala Krishnan Nayanar (9 December 191919 May 2004) was an Indian Communist politician of the Communist Party of India (Marxist) or CPI(M). He served three terms as the Chief Minister of Kerala (1980–1981, 1987–1991 and 1996–2001) for ...

References

External links

Rediff On The NeT: Communist Marxist Party leader M V Raghavan in a no-holds-barred interview about his recent arrest

{{DEFAULTSORT:Raghavan, M. V. Malayali politicians Politicians from Kannur 1933 births 2014 deaths Communist Marxist Party politicians Communist Party of India (Marxist) politicians from Kerala Kerala MLAs 1970–1977 Kerala MLAs 1977–1979 Kerala MLAs 1980–1982 Kerala MLAs 1982–1987 Kerala MLAs 1987–1991 Communist Party of India politicians from Kerala