Vilianarij at 10:53, 30 November 2025

2025-11-30T10:53:08Z

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{{Short description|Indian politician}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=August 2021}}
{{Family name hatnote|Melathu Veettil|lang=Malayali}}
{{Infobox officeholder
| native_name =
| name = M. V. Raghavan
| image =
| birth_name =
| birth_date = {{Birth date|df=yes|1933|05|05}}
| birth_place = [[Kannur district|Cannanore]], [[Malabar District]], [[Madras Presidency]], [[British Raj|British India]]<br />(present day [[Kannur district|Kannur]], [[Kerala]], India)
| nationality = [[Indian people|Indian]]
| death_date = {{Death date and age|df=yes|2014|11|09|1933|05|05}}
| party = {{Unbulleted_list|[[Communist Party of India]]<br />(1949–1964)|[[Communist Party of India (Marxist)]]<br />(1964–1986)|[[Communist Marxist Party]]}}
| children = 4 (incl. [[M. V. Nikesh Kumar]])
| spouse = Janaki
}}

'''Melathu Veettil Raghavan''' (5 May 1933 – 9 November 2014) was a veteran Communist leader and a former Minister in [[Kerala]] state of [[India]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://niyamasabha.org/codes/min19.htm |title=Minister for Co-operation|publisher=Kerala Legislative Assembly, Thiruvananthapuram |accessdate=2009-07-25}}</ref> He was the General Secretary of the [[Communist Marxist Party|CMP]], an alliance partner in the [[United Democratic Front (Kerala)|UDF]]. Prior to the formation of the CMP he was a prominent leader of the [[Communist Party of India (Marxist)|CPI(M)]].<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.firstpost.com/politics/marxist-communist-party-founder-mv-raghavan-passes-away-1794239.html|title=Marxist Communist Party founder MV Raghavan passes away|date=9 November 2014}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://indianexpress.com/article/india/politics/m-v-raghavan-communist-leader-who-took-on-cpm-in-kerala-dead/|title = M V Raghavan, Communist leader who took on CPM in Kerala, passes away|date = 10 November 2014}}</ref>

He was expelled from the CPI(M) following an inner party struggle in which he advocated alliance with the [[Kerala Congress]] and the [[Indian Union Muslim League|IUML]] against the official line of keeping these 2 parties out of [[Left Democratic Front|LDF]]. He then formed the [[Communist Marxist Party|CMP]] and later joined the [[United Democratic Front (Kerala)|UDF]]. He was a minister in UDF governments a number of times.

He belongs to [[Kannur district]] 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, [[Government Medical College, Kannur|Government Medical College]] in [[Kannur district|Kannur District]].{{Citation needed|date=August 2025}} 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.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://nairscharity.org/activities.html |title=Nair's Charity, Kannur, Kerala, South India - Nair and Nambiar Marriage Bureau | Nair & Nambiar Brides and Grooms in Kerala |accessdate=2010-01-19 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20090911050120/http://nairscharity.org/activities.html |archivedate=11 September 2009 }}</ref>

==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<ref>{{Cite web | url=http://www.niyamasabha.org/codes/members/m533.htm |title = Members - Kerala Legislature}}</ref>
* 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]].<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://ceokerala.nic.in/SE/115/M_V_RAGHAVAN/MVRAGHAVAN_CR1.htm |title=Archived copy |access-date=19 January 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090410140215/http://ceokerala.nic.in/SE/115/M_V_RAGHAVAN/MVRAGHAVAN_CR1.htm |archive-date=10 April 2009 |url-status=dead }}</ref> He was married to Janaki. The couple have three sons,<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.marunadanmalayalee.com/|title=MarunadanMalayalee.com|website=www.marunadanmalayalee.com}}</ref> notable being [[M. V. Nikesh Kumar]], a journalist<ref>{{cite news| url=http://www.hindu.com/fr/2005/02/04/stories/2005020402070200.htm | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110604104547/http://www.hindu.com/fr/2005/02/04/stories/2005020402070200.htm | url-status=dead | archive-date=4 June 2011 | location=Chennai, India | work=[[The Hindu]] | title=Writing with light | date=4 February 2005}}</ref> and a daughter.

Since 2005, Raghavan was bed-ridden with advanced Parkinson's disease. He died on 9 November 2014<ref>{{Cite web | url=http://www.marunadanmalayali.com/news/keralam/raghavan-died-6958 |title = എം വി രാഘവൻ അന്തരിച്ചു; യാത്രയായത് കേരളം കണ്ട ഏറ്റവും തന്റേടിയായ രാഷ്ട്രീയ നേതാവ്; അവ}}</ref> at the age of 81.<ref>{{cite news | url=https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/kerala/cmp-leader-mv-raghavan-passes-away/article6580210.ece | title= CMP leader M.V. Raghavan passes away | date=9 November 2014 | newspaper=The Hindu | accessdate=26 November 2019 }}</ref> He was cremated with full state honours at Payyambalam Beach Crematorium, near the memorials of [[Swadeshabhimani Ramakrishna Pillai]], [[A. K. Gopalan]], [[K. G. Marar]] and [[E. K. Nayanar]]. Janaki, his wife, died in 2021.

==References==
{{reflist}}

==External links==
*[http://www.rediff.com/news/aug/07ragha.htm Rediff On The NeT: Communist Marxist Party leader M V Raghavan in a no-holds-barred interview about his recent arrest]
* [http://www.niyamasabha.org/codes/members/m533.htm Members - Kerala Legislature]

{{Authority control}}

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

M. V. Raghavan - Revision history

Vilianarij at 10:53, 30 November 2025