U P Jayaraj, writer of turbulent times
His books had content that sympathises with downtrodden.
KOZHIKODE: Come July and the rain-soaked month reminds of a writer whose short stories which are less in number reflected the turbulent mind of the youth of the 1970s and 80s. U.P Jayaraj (1950-1999), whose death anniversary falls on July 11, was read along with M. Sukumaran, Pattathuvila Karunakaran and P.K. Nanu in Malayalam fiction whose political content stands apart in the modernisation period in Malayalam literature.
Jayaraj’s two collections, Nirashabharithanaaya Suhruthinu Oru Kathu and Okkinavayile Pathivrathakal are having rich political content which sympathises with the downtrodden and defends the Maoist cause. “It awfully communicated with the youth who pinned their hopes to the heralding of a new era through revolution,” observed writer N. Prabhakaran. Jayaraj’s sympathy with Maoism doesn’t end in writing.
“He provided shelter to K. Venu, then CPI (ML) state secretary who was underground after the Kayanna police station attack in 1976. Jayaraj was working at the Indian Ordnance Factories under the Union defence ministry in Trichy then,” recalls M.M Somasekharan, the then CPI (ML) Kozhikode district secretary. “Venu was arrested from Jayaraj’s flat in Trichy at his second coming. Jayaraj did not keep the image of an intellectual but was down to earth both in his life as well as writings.”
He vividly remembers the police torturing to get a clue about Venu's hideouts. P.K Nanu, who worked along with Jayaraj, too nurtures memories of a nice human being who spoke about the awakening of the downtrodden. Jayaraj, a native of Thalassery, died of cancer aged 50.