Mancherath Thazhathethil Govindan (1919–1989) was an Indian writer of Malayalam literature and a cultural activist from Kerala, India.
Govindan was born on 18 September 1919, at Kuradadesham, in Thrikkanapuram, Ponnani, Malappuram district of the south Indian state of Kerala to Kothayath Manakkal Chithran Nampoothiri and Mancherath Thazhathethil Devaki Amma.
When his mother remarried Karunakaran Nair, a police official based in Chennai and moved there, Govindan also settled in that city.
He was given a job at the recommendation of P. Balasubramanya Mudaliar, Editor of Sunday Observer, mouth piece of the Justice Party.
Govindan had embraced the Radical Humanism of erstwhile Marxist M. N. Roy in 1939; both were against Gandhi and the Quit India movement.
He had been in active politics prior to that and according to Sanoo, had written a couple of articles in leftist magazines such as Thozhilali and Rajyabhamani.
Their friendship ultimately bloomed in their joint effort against the first elected Communist Government in India, in the infamous liberation struggle, funded by the CIA.