TM Varghese and wife, photo .

My maternal grand uncle, T M Varghese and wife. (maternal grandmother's just elder brother).

One of the Thrimoorthikal of Kerala ( Pattom Thanu Pillai, C Kesavan and T M Varghese..) and the first home minister of Tirukochi in 1948. 

My mother used to speak how during her holidays as a schoolgirl, she loved going from Adoor to Quilon with her mother, to stay at her uncle's place ( T M Varghese). She used to be picked up from the bus stand and taken around Quilon in a Chevorlet in Quilon at that time, 1930s

The life of T M Varghese is also a great example of the value politicians of that time carried in their life ..

He gave up a very promising career and dedicated his whole life for Kerala.. Was instrumental in getting the accession of state of Travancore to India. Reading some historical documents,

a painting of T M Varghese ..

I also get to understand that at the time of leaving his brilliant advocate career in Quilon in the 40s, by revolting against Sir CP, he was earning to the tune of Rs 5000/- yearly, that was quite a princely sum, to say the least.

Towards the end of his career, he had virtually nothing to boast of, all his assets were utilised to support the Travancore State Congress at critical points of time, sometimes even to the extent of three years. The assets were used up over time for the state and its people.

The contribution of T M Varghese will be remembered by the Malayalis for generations to come..

How many of our present day politicians can even remotely come close to the ideals held aloft by our leaders and freedom fighters !!

Most of them use politics as a cushion to protect their ancestral or acquired (mostly illegal wine money, or bribery money or illegally acquired land) wealth from poachers and further to give a legitimacy to the ill-gained wealth.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/T._M._Varghese,_Thandaneth

george..

TM Varghese, a patriot who gave his life for Kerala state ..

TM Varghese statue at
Kesavadasapuram juntion in Trivandrum

The epitaph ..

Recently when I visited Trivandrum, Kerala, I got down at Kesavadasapuram junction to have a close look at the statue of T M Varghese.

Hailed as one of the Trimoorthikal in Kerala along with Pattom Thanu Pillai and C Kesavan, T M Varghese, quit a flourishing lawyer practice in the 40s to jump into the freedom movement.

In my younger days, school history textbooks used to mention the name of T M Varghese as one of the Trimurthies of Kerala and an ardent freedom fighter, then I did not understand the depth of his contributions to Kerala society, until my mother mentioned it to me..  ..

TM Varghese was the first Home Minister of Kerala state in 1948 and it's first Education Minister too.

Hailing from Thandaaneth family in Pallikkal, Kayamkulam, he had great zeal for public service. Being a member of the Legislative Council, MLC, he strained his relations with the Dewan Sir CP Ramaswamy Iyer and jumped actively into the freedom movement in the late 30s.

As an individual, he never thought of personal gains and pleasures, gave his life and earnings for the people of Kerala. He even supported the Kerala State Congress during its initial formative stages for some years.

The present day politicians at the centre and the state may consider him to be a fool who never cared for himself. He never made money for twenty generations, he never grabbed the poor man's lands. He will always live in the minds of millions of Malayalees as a person who lived by his word, for values and principles in life, who fought to upkeep the high standards of probity in public life.

The two snaps here give an idea of this great personality. He is my uncle ..

Wikipedia link is here ..

A photo of the couple..

george..