VPR

V.P.Ramachandran, popularly known as VPR was born at Vettathu Puthenveedu, Vadakkancherry village in Thrissur district in 1924. After his  high school education and training in typewriting, he procured a job as a tele printer operator in the news agency AP . He started his journalism career with PTI in 1949 in Assam. From there he was transferred to Mumbai as an editorial assistant. While India was preparing for its first election,  VPR was posted in national capital. There under his leadership PTI constituted an  election desk to cover the election process all over the country.

Later transferred to Pakistan, he maintained personal  relations with leaders like  Gen. Ayub Khan, the then Pak military chief and  Zulfikar Ali Bhutto  etc. VPR reported the Indo - China war from the warfront itself.  

He joined the UNI in 1964 as bureau chief and later became its deputy general manager. His reports on Parliament proceedings  and International affairs were models. He excelled in the field of investigative journalism too. World leaders like US President Nixon, Idi Ameen of Uganda were interviewed by VPR.

During the period of emergency VPR was reassigned to the industrial city of Ranchi. His reports from Ranchi gave a new phace to development journalism. At that time almost all news papers were waiting for the development features from Ranchi by VPR.  Once Amruthabazar Pathrika, the then leading daily,  published his features as their lead story.

In 1978 VPR joined Mathrubhumi as Executive editor and later its Editor, after the demise of KP Kesava Menon. VPR  left Mathrubhumi in 1984. In 1988 he joined Kerala Press Academy as the Director, Institute of Communication and later he was made the Chairman. He chaired the Academy for two consecutive terms.  Now he lives with his only daughter Lekha, (retired teacher) in her house at Mavelipuram, Kakkanad.

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