CPI stalwart Veliyam Bhargavan no more

He was considered in Kerala's coalition politics as a tough negotiator when it came to asserting CPI'S positions and interests and often clashed with lead partner CPI(M).

However leaders of CPI(M) and other Left parties have acknowledged his contributions in shaping and sustaining Left unity in the state.

Born in a family of modest means at Velyiam village in Kollam district, Bhargavan was a dedicated student of Sanskrit and Indian thought during his school days. As an adolescent,he opted for a spiritual life and for a while even wandered about with a tonsured head as an aspiring sanyasi.

Later, he learnt basics of Marxism and Leninism, was attracted to Communism and joined as a party wholetimer in the erstwhile princely state of Travancore and was tasked with organising workers.