Quick Facts
Biography
Puthussery Ramachandran (Malayalam: പുതുശ്ശേരി രാമചന്ദ്രന്) is an eminent Indian poet of the Malayalam language. He is a scholar of Dravidian linguistics and has been a professor of Malayalam for more than three decades.
Biography
Dr. Puthussery Ramachandran was born on 23 September 1928, at Vallikunnam, a village near Kayamkulam of Alappuzha district in Kerala. His parents were Pokkatt Damodaran Pillai and Puthusseri Janaki Amma. He lost his father at the age of 16. By his early education in Sanskrit school at Vallikunnam, Puthussery received the title of Sastri. During the secondary education at Pope Pius XI English High School, Kattanam near Kayamkulam, he was very active in student movement as the president of Middle Travancore Committee of Students' Congress. He was suspended from the school for his involvement in the freedom struggle.
The college education of Puthussery Ramachandran started at Sree Narayana College, Kollam where he was involved in students struggle as the leader of the Students' Federation and imprisoned. He took his B.A.(Hons) Degree in Malayalam language and literature from University College, Thiruvananthapuram with first class and first rank in the university. His PhD was in Linguistics in 1970 from the same university.
Career
His career started as lecturer at Sree Narayana College, Kollam in 1957. He became lecturer in the Department of Malayalam at the University of Kerala in 1969. After his retirement as Professor of Malayalam and Dean of Oriental Faculty in 1988 with an experience of 32 years of teaching, Dr. Puthusseri became the Honorary Director of International Centre for Kerala Studies, University of Kerala.
Dr. Puthussery Ramachandran was a member of the Syndicate of the University of Kerala and was the General Secretary of First World Conference on Malayalam language and Kerala Culture organised by the University of Kerala in 1977. He was the Organizing Secretary of the First All India Conference on Dravidian Linguistics in 1971, which led to the formation of Dravidian Linguistics Association and establishment of International School of Dravidian Linguistics in Thiruvananthapuram. He is the President of Place Name Society and the Director of Asian-African and Latin American Studies.
Poetry
His first poem, Onnanthyakkuttam, was published in 1944 when the poet was just 16 years old. The themes of his early works were evolved from the experience developed by the life and struggle of his surroundings. Most of his early poems were written in the background of freedom struggle. The later evolution of his poetry occurred in the period of his involvement in revolutionary politics. In the period known as Pink Decade (1945–1955) in Malayalam Poetry, young poets inspired by revolutionary ideology of Marxism was active, Puthussery was in the forefront. In the later period he was the critical insider to the left politics and his poems, thee peyyaruthe mazhamukile, moongayum pananmarum etc. reflect this sentiment. Though he shared some common characteristics in theme and style picked from the daily life of the common man, he later developed his own poetic identity drawing inspiration from the spiritual tradition of Indian Philosophy.
As a poet Dr. Puthussery Ramachandran is well acclaimed and considered as one among the writers like Vayalar Rama Varma, ONV Kurup and others who have a commitment to the social problems. As a translator of poems from other languages like English, Sanskrit and Tamil his contributions are unique in many respects. The Sahitya Akademi has recognised his contributions by giving him the national award for translation. In 2009 Kerala Sahitya Akademi conferred him with the Fellowship, the most distinguished honour of the Academy.
Research Works
After securing his own place in Malayalam poetry in the second half of the last century, Dr. Puthussery Ramachandran devoted his endeavours to the in-depth study of the early and medieval Malayalam language and early history of Kerala. He had first published the Yuddhakanda of Kannassaramayana, copied from the palm-leaf text and prepared a critical edition with linguistic and sociological study. Later he published the complete text of Kannassa Ramayana, the first complete Ramayana in Malayalam with scholarly notes and interpretations. Moreover, he had also published the critical edition of Bhasha Bhagavad Gita by Madhavan, one of the Kannassa trios. Dr. Puthussery's most important scholarly book may be his Herculean work on early history of Kerala entitled Keralcharitrathinte Adisthanarekhakal (The Basic Documents of the History of Kerala). This mammoth volume includes the translation of old Malayalam inscriptions into modern Malayalam with the comments on their linguistic and historical commentary.
Dr. Puthussery has been tirelessly trying his best in the public sphere for the due recognition of Malayalam language and literature and their uplifting. On the basis of the elaborate document prepared and submitted by Government of Kerala with his guidance and leadership, Malayalam was recognised as a classical language by the Government of India in 2013. He had taken the initiative in organising the first World Malayalam Conference in 1977 in Thiruvananthapuram.
In recognition of his contributions to the studies on Early and Medieval Malayalam language and literature, the Sahitya Akademi has selected Dr. Puthussery for Bhasha Samman in 2014.
Awards
- Bhasha Samman, Sahitya Akademi (2014)
- Translation Award, Sahitya Akademi (2005)
- Fellowship, Kerala Sahitya Akademi (2009)
- Kerala Sahitya Akademi Award for Overall Contributions (1999)
- Mahakavi Muloor Award (1998)
- Mahakavi P. Kunhiraman Nair Award (1998)
- Malayali Association Award, Houston (1998)
- All India Radio National Award (1998)
- Mahakavi Ulloor Award (2000)
- Dubai Kairali Kalakendram Award (2000)
- Ramapurathu Warrier Award (2001)
- A. P. Kalakkad Award (2002)
- Kannassa Smaraka Award (2003)
- P. T. Bhaskara Panicker Memorial INDIS Award (2004)
- Sahitya Kalanidhi (Kerala Hindi Prachar Sabha) (2005)
- Abudhabi Sakthi Award (2006)
- T. A. Majeed Award (2006)
- K. Damodaran Award (2008)
- N. V. Krishna Warrier Vignjaana Puraskaram (2008)
- Mahakavi Vallathol Award (2008)
- Asan Smaraka Kavitha Puraskaram (Asan Memorial Association, Chennai) (2008)
- Yesenin Award, Russia (2012)
- K. C. Pillai Award, Saudi Arabia (2014)
- Ezhuthachan Puraskaram, Kerala (2015)
- Thoppil Bhasi Award (2016)
Positions Held
- Member, Syndicate, University of Kerala (1976–1980)
- Member, Senete, University of Kerala (1970–1988)
- Member, Board of Directors, Sahitya Pravarthaka Sahakarana Sangham (SPCS) (1983–1988)
- Founder Member, N. Krishnapillai Foundation (1989)
- Chairman, Board of Studies, Malayalam, University of Kerala
- Chairman, PG Board of Examinations, University of Kerala
- Member, Faculty of Oriental Studies, University of Kerala
- Member, Academic Council, University of Kerala
- President, Place Name Society, Thiruvananthapuram
- Director, Asian African and Latin American Studies
- Founder Member, C. Achutha Menon Foundation (1991)
- Chairman, Kannassa Vidyapeedam