Thampan Thomas (b. May 11, 1940) is a prominent politician, trade union leader and senior lawyer. He was drawn early in life to the socialist ideals of Dr. Ram Manohar Lohia and Jayaprakash Narayan, eventually becoming a leading figure in India’s socialist movement. During the 1975–1977 Emergency, he was detained for 19 months under the Maintenance of Internal Security Act (MISA). He was one of the founding General Secretaries of the Janata Dal (JD) and was later elected President of the Socialist Party (India) for two terms. He was a Member of Parliament representing the Mavelikkara constituency (1984-’89).
Starting out as a trade unionist organizing workers in both the organized and unorganized sectors, he rose to become President of the Hind Mazdoor Sabha (HMS). He has been championing the cause of the working class in India in various forums of the International Labour Organization (ILO). A leading lawyer, he has been a successful campaigner for the rights of workers in many spheres, including the media.