Communist Marxist Party founder M.V. Raghavan dies

Kannur: Veteran communist leader M.V. Raghavan, 81, the founder of rebel Communist outfit, the Communist Marxist Party, died after a prolonged illness at Pariyaram Medical College hereon Sunday morning.

He was expelled from the CPM in 1986 for presenting his alternative document draft advocating political tie-ups with minority political parties like the Indian Union Muslim League and the Kerala Congress.

Hit by Parkinson disease, he had been keeping away from active politics for the last three years.

The cremation would be held at Payyambalam beach in Kannur at 11 am on Monday.  

The  body, before it was taken home,  was kept  at Pariyaram Medical College up to 4 pm and later at the Parassinikkadavu Ayurveda College, both founded by Raghavan, to enable the people to pay their last respects to him.

It will be placed at the CMP office from  8 am on Monday and later at Kannur Town Square.

He is survived by wife C.V. Janaki, daughter M.V. Girija, sons M.V. Gireeshkumar, M.V. Rajesh, M.V. Nikeshkumar.

Raghavan proved to be one of the few leaders in Kerala who kept up their relevance after being expelled from the CPM.

In the days that followed his expulsion, he was virtually hounded by the party cadres across the state but with true grit he carried forward belying predictions of stalwarts like E.M.S. Namboodiripoad.

A primary school drop-out, he was attracted to Communism as a teenager inspired by speeches of leaders like A K Gopalan.

He was elected on the CPI(M) ticket to the assembly in 1970, 1977, 1980 and 1982 and was the most aggressive face of the party in the house.