Even as it mourns the death of its most illustrious son, Veliyam, ancestral village of Veliyam Bhargavan in Kottarakkara taluk of this district, still takes pride in being known after the comrade.
The otherwise nondescript village is known across the country after the former CPI state secretary. As comrade Veliyam once wrote in a memoir, the people in the village had nurtured great respect for Communist leaders during the 1948-1949 period when they were hunted down by the police.
Veliyam Bhargavan’s entry to active politics can be traced to the reverence he shared along with his villagers towards party leaders. Veliyam Bhargavan was born as the son of Krishnan, a traditional weaver and Unniyamma of Kaliyakkamelathil, Padinjattinkara in Veliyam in 1928.
As he showed exceptional talent in studies, and in mastering the Upanishads and Puranas from the Veliyam Sanskrit School, the family wanted him to learn more.
After completing matriculation from the Kottarakkara English High School, he joined the newly founded Sree Narayana College, Kollam. His association with Veliyam Damodaran, schoolmate at Veliyam Sanskrit School and Kottarakkara English High School, communist leader Kottathala Surendran, who later became a martyr during the police action against Communist leaders and Narayanan Unni drove him to political activism. As per Veliyam’s accounts, his major role in the Communist movement during the 1948-49 period was to find hideouts for these leaders. “After completing his BA with first class, those associated with Veliyam wanted him to take up a job as a teacher and continue with political activities. But Veliyam was determined. He wanted to do either an LLB or turn into a full-time politician. He chose the latter,” his college-mate and CPI leader Mukhathala Chellappan Pillai said.
He contested in the first elections to Local Self Government institutions in the state and became the member of Veliyam panchayat. Later, the party wanted him to contest in the first General Elections after the formation of Kerala state, which he denied promptly. But under party pressure, he had to contest the first Assembly elections from Chadayamanagalam constituency in 1957. He went on to win the seat a second time in 1960. Since then, Veliyam renounced Parliamentary positions and concentrated on organisational activities of the party.