P Viswambharan passes away

Thiruvananthapuram: P. Viswambharan, 91, a socialist leader, freedom fighter and former MP of Thiruvananthapuram constituency, died on Friday evening due to old age related illness. His cremation will be held at his ancestral house at Vellar near Kovalam at 4 pm on Saturday. He was unmarried. Viswambharan was elected to the Assembly in 1960 from Nemom and to the Lok Sabha in 1967.

He was also the first convener of the LDF when the front was formed in 1973. He was born as the son of late Padmanabhan and Chellamma in Vellar near Kovalam on June 25,1925. He completed his education from Pachalloor LP school, Venganoor English Middle School, Thiruvananthapuram SMV school, Nagercoil Scott Christian College, Thiruvananthapuram Arts College and University College. He completed two bachelor’s degree, one in Economics and other in History. Though, he joined the Thiruvananthapuram Law College to do a law degree, he could not complete it as he joined the Quit India movement and went into hiding following an arrest warrant.

He was one of the architects behind the formation of the Travancore state unit of the Vidyarthi Congress. He left the Congress in 1949 to join the Socialist Party. He later joined the Praja Social Party (PSP). When PSP merged with Rammanohar Lohia’s Socialist Party to form the Samuktha Socialist Party (SSP) he was its state general secretary. He was the state chairman of the Socialist Party when many socialist groups merged together to form the new party in 1971. He later was with the Janata Party and Janata Dal. He was staying away from active politics for many years.

He worked as a journalist with Malayali, Mathrubhumi, Swathanthrya Kahalam and Deshabhandu dailies and also with the news agency UPI. He was instrumental in forming the Thiru-Kochi Journalist Union and was its founding general secretary. Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, the state committee and Thiruvananthapuram district comimitee of the KUWJ condoled the death of Mr Viswambharan.