Melathu Veettil Raghavan (5 May 1933 – 9 November 2014) was a veteran Communist leader and a former Minister in Kerala state of India.^[1] He was the General Secretary of the Communist Marxist Party, an alliance partner in the UDF. Prior to the formation of the CMP he was a prominent leader of the Communist Party of India (Marxist).^[2][3]

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 against the official line of keeping these two parties out of LDF. He then formed the CMP and later joined the 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, Government Medical College 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. ^[4]

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^[5]
• 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.^[6] He was married to Janaki. The couple have three sons,^[7] notable being M. V. Nikesh Kumar, a journalist^[8] and a daughter.

Since 2005, Raghavan was bed-ridden with advanced Parkinson's disease. He died on 9 November 2014.^[9] at the age of 81.^[10] 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.