P. V. Varghese Vaidyar

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][3] Vaidyar's family migrated to Wayanad in 1952.[3]

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]

His biography Varghese Vaidyante Athmakatha (ISBN 9788126453337) 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]