P. V. Varghese Vaidyar Explained

P. V. Varghese Vaidyar
Office1:Member of Kerala Legislative Assembly (MLA)
Term Start1:1996
Term End1:2001
Predecessor1:K. C. Rosakutty
Successor1:N. D. Appachan
Constituency1:Sulthan Bathery
Party:Communist Party of India (Marxist)
Spouse:Saramma Varghese
Children:3
Birth Date:1922 11, df=yes
Birth Place:Travancore, British India
Residence:Meenangadi, Wayanad district, Kerala
Death Place:Kalpetta, Wayanad district, Kerala

Panackal Varkey Varghese Vaidyar was a Communist Party of India (Marxist) politician from Kerala, India. He represented Sulthan Bathery Assembly constituency in 10th Kerala Legislative Assembly.

Biography

Varghese Vaidyar was born on 9 November 1922 in Kunnakkalkara village in the Muvattupuzha Taluk to Annamma and P. V. Varkey of the Panackal house.[1] [2] Vaidyar's family migrated to Wayanad in 1952.[3]

Personal life and death

Varghese Vaidyar and his wife Saramma Varghese of the Marottikal family in Muvattupuzha have three children.[3] He died due to cardiac arrest, at a private hospital in Kalpetta on September 16, 2012.[4] His body was buried with state honors at the St. Peter's Jacobite Syrian Orthodox Cathedral at Meenangadi.[4]

Political career

Varghese Vaidyar, who was an active member of Indian independence movement, participated in the Quit India Movement in 1942.[3] He was a member of Indian National Congress party till 1949.[3] He has been active in the field of public works since the formation of the Wayanad Taluk Revenue Land Owners' Association.[2] Vaidyar later joined the Communist Party of India and the Kerala Karshaka Sangam (Peasants' Union) at the behest of A. K. Gopalan.[2] After the split of Communist Party of India in 1964, Vaidyar became member of Communist Party of India (Marxist).[2] He became prominent in the CPI (M) in the 1970s, leading a series of land struggles in the district, involving agricultural workers and small farmers.[4] In 1970, Vaidyar was imprisoned along with A. K. Gopalan for participating in the Mudavanmukh agitation for the distribution of surplus land.[2]

Vaidyar contested the 1982 and 1991 Kerala assembly elections but lost.[2] He was elected to the 10th Kerala Legislative Assembly in 1996.[4] He represented Sulthan Bathery Assembly constituency as a CPI (M) candidate.[3] He had also served as Meenangadi panchayat president for two terms (10 years).[4] Vaidyar also held several other positions including director of Wayanad District Co-operative Bank, member of the State Housing Board and the North Wayanad Land Board, district secretary and district president of Kerala State Karshaka Thozhilali Union.[3] He was also the founding chairman of the Brahmagiri Development Society.[5]

Legacy

His biography Varghese Vaidyante Athmakatha was published in 2015 by DC Books. The first 4 chapters were written by Varghese himself but could not be completed because of his death, rest has been completed by his son Cherian Kalpakavadi.[6] His life is depicted by Mohanlal in the Malayalam movie Lal Salaam(1990).

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Members - Kerala Legislature . 2023-09-16 . www.niyamasabha.org.
  2. News: Tributes paid to Varghese Vaidyar . The New Indian Express.
  3. Web site: Members - Kerala Legislature . www.niyamasabha.org.
  4. News: Sep 17 . TNN / . Varghese Vaidyar: P V Varghese Vaidyar dead Kozhikode News - Times of India . . en.
  5. News: പി വി വര്‍ഗീസ് വൈദ്യര്‍ അനുസ്മരണം . Deshabhimani . ml.
  6. Web site: വർഗീസ് വൈദ്യന്റെ ആത്മകഥ Varghese Vaidyante Atmakatha . www.goodreads.com.