Ezhuthachan Puraskaram to Mahakavi Akkitham ; ? Leftist regret over controversial award to traitor Hussein

The well-known Malayalam poet, essayist and editor, Achuthan Namboothiri, popularly known as Akkittam, was born in 1926, at Kumaranalloor, in Palakkad district. His famous poems are ‘Irupatam Nuttantinte Ithihasam,’ ‘Arangettam,’ ‘Balidarsanam,’ ‘Nimisha Kshetram,’ ‘Itinju Polinja Lokam,’ ‘Amritaghatika,’ ‘Akkithattinte Teranjetutta Kavitakal,’ and ‘Kalikkottilil.’ Essays: ‘ Upanayanam’ and ‘Samavarttanam.’

The award in the name of Malayalm’s father Thunchathu Ramanujan Ezhuthachan
-Ezhuthachan Puraskaram will be conferred to Akkitham this year.The award consists of Rs 1 lakh, citation and artefact. A panel chaired by poet O.N.V.Kurup selected Akkitham for the award. M Mukundan, S Sreedev and Chathanathu Achuthanunni were the other memebrs of the commitee that selected Akkitham for the award.

Akkitham stand unique in Kerala’s literarary circles by dedicating his whole life to promote Vedic Culture and Indian Philosophy through his literary works. He has received numerous prestigious awards since his works began to be regularly published in the early 1950s, earlier including Amritha Keerthi Puraskaram in 2004, a 1973 Kendra Sahitya Academy Award for his poem “Balidarsanam” [“Vision of Bali”] and the Sanjayan Award for his 1952 poem “Irupatham Nottandinte Ithihasam” [“Epic of the 20th Century”].Odakuzhal award in 1972 was awarded considering his contribution to literature ,Padmaprabha puraskar in 2002 and Pandalam Kerala Ramavarma Award in 2007.

 In literary circles, many consider this work as the starting point of modernism in Malayalam poetry. In all, some 45 collections of his poems, plays and short stories have been published.For his part, Akkitham considers his translation of the Srimad Bhagavatam as his life’s most valued work. It comprises 14,613 verses, running 2,400 printed pages. Srimad Bhagavatam is the composition of sage Veda Vyasa on the avatars of Lord Vishnu including the life of Sri Krishna.

As a member of the Yogakshema Sabha (Trissur), Akkitham has worked for social reforms among the Namboothiri Brahmins of Kerala. He also has worked for the promotion of Vedic studies in association with the famous Vedic Study Centres at Thirunavaya, Kadavalloor and Trissur, including the proliferation of Vedic studies among non-Brahmins.

He has strongly spoken out and against untouchability, participating in the Paliyam Sathyagraha fight against untouchability in 1947. Akittham had always raised his voice against the discrimination practiced by Kerala Government against Hindus by controlling our Temples.