KOZHIKODE: Veteran freedom fighter P. Vasu, widely remembered as ‘Socio Vasu’, passed away at his home in Cheruvannur, Kozhikode, on Thursday, October 8. He was 103.
Born in January 1923, Vasu was drawn to the national movement at a young age. His interest in the struggle for Independence grew after he attended a public meeting addressed by Mahatma Gandhi during Gandhi’s 1934 visit to Kozhikode.
Vasu became actively involved in the Quit India Movement of 1942. He organised and led a protest procession from Kundayithode to Cheruvannur, an action that brought him under the watch of the British authorities. He was taken into custody, assaulted by the colonial police and later sentenced to three-and-a-half months in prison.
The following year, Vasu spent more than nine months in hiding after the police attempted to arrest him in connection with a bomb-threat case related to the Farook bridge. He consistently denied any role in the incident.
Following Independence, Vasu turned his attention to socialist politics. He became a member of the Socialist Party, receiving his membership from socialist leader Jayaprakash Narayan in Kozhikode. His long association with the socialist movement eventually earned him the popular name ‘Socio Vasu’.
Vasu was also known for his principled stand against accepting personal benefits for his role in the freedom struggle. In 1951, he rejected an offer of 10 acres of land in Wayanad along with ₹2,000 from the then Madras Presidency. He maintained that his participation in the national movement had been driven by the cause of Independence rather than the expectation of financial rewards.
His activism continued decades after Independence. During the Emergency in 1975, Vasu took part in a protest against the government by picketing a post office. Police action during the demonstration left him seriously injured, and he spent 23 days receiving treatment at Kozhikode Medical College Hospital.
Vasu’s contribution to the freedom movement was formally recognised in 1997, when he was honoured in New Delhi by then President K. R. Narayanan as part of the celebrations marking 50 years of India’s Independence.
He died following age-related health complications.