Kerala Sahitya Akademi has no time for books on renaissance leaders

ALAPPUZHA: The LDF government may be trying to promote the values of renaissance, but its departments and cultural bodies are not bothered about Kerala’s icons of social and cultural reforms.

Those who want to know about such historical persons like  Ayyankali, R. Sankar and Muloor (Muloor S. Padmanabha Panicker) will have to grope in the dark due to the absence of current publications about them. The Kerala Sahitya Akademi is busy with many other works, and so has expressed its helplessness in the matter.

A Kayamkulam-based social activist Harikumar Elayidam is a disappointed man after he received a letter from Dr. K. P. Mohanan, akademi secretary, in this regard. He said that biographies and reference books had been earlier published  by the department of culture, but the publication section was non-existent now. The akademi is working on the publication of several other books and hence has no plans to bring out any books on the icons.

Harikumar had approached A.K. Balan, Minister for Law and Culture, in February 2017 with a request for publishing their reference books.  The cultural affairs secretary forwarded the request to the akademi, which has replied to Harikumar.

Earlier ‘Samskara Keralam’ had been publishing such books, but the successive governments have not taken any interest in them. The printing of fortnightly magazines by the archaeological department has been wound up, Harikumar said.

Ayyankali, who fought for the dalit cause, is considered as the tallest renaissance leader in the state.  Muloor and Sankar, both Ezhavas, contributed to education reforms in the community. Muloor, popularly known as Sarasakavi (humorous poet), had dedicated his life for social reforms. He was a member of the Sree Moolam Praja Sabha, and was given the Sarasakavi title by Kerala Varma Valiyakoyi Thampuran in 1913. Sankar was former chief minister of the state from 1962 to 1964.