Joseph Mundassery
Encyclopedia
Joseph Mundassery was a renowned literary critic and Indian politician from Kerala
state. He was one among the towering literary critics in the Malayalam language and literature. In Kerala politics
, he is famously remembered as the Education Minister who is the mastermind behind the drafting of the controversial Education Bill
of the first EMS communist ministry of 1957.
Joseph Mundassery was born at Kandassankadavu, Trichur. After his schooling from a local school he took his Bachelors degree in Physics and later the Masters degree in Sanskrit
and Malayalam. Until 1952, he was the Head of the Department of Foreign Languages at St. Thomas College, Trichur.
Mundassery entered politics through the Kochi Prajamandalam and was elected as a Member of the Legislative Council (MLC) of the princely state of Cochin
in 1948 from the constituency of Aranattukara. Later on he became an MLC in the Travancore-Cochin
Assembly in 1954, from Cherpu.
After the formation of the Kerala State in 1956, he won the Assembly election in 1957, from Manaloor, and went on to become Kerala’s first Education Minister (1957-‘59) in the EMS Communist ministry. And finally in 1970 he was elected as an MLA from Trichur constituency.
, Mundassery was one among the famous trio of Malayalam critics, the others being Kesari Balakrishna Pillai
and M. P. Paul
. The progressive literary movement of the 1940s owes it existence mostly to the works and efforts of Prof. Mundassery.
Through his controversial theory about Rooparbhadrata – formal excellence – Mundassery ushered in a new chapter of literary hermeneutics, which was unheard of in Malayalam until then. According to the theory the proclaimed aim of the author would inevitably lead to intentional fallacy
, and that an author should be evaluated on more objective criteria like his role as a spokesman of his age.
He was the President of the Kerala Sahithya Parishad 1965-67, executive (and founding) member of the Kerala Sahithya Academy. He was also instrumental in establishing the Kerala Sangeetha Nataka Academy and was a member of the Kendra Sahithya Academy.
of the First communist ministry of Kerala. To a great extend the proposed bill directly led to the snowballing of the Vimochana Samaram
and the subsequent downfall of the E.M.S. Namboodiripad's first communist ministry in 1958.
Even though the Education Bill
failed to pass through the Assembly many of its provisions were later implemented by subsequent governments with amends. As the Education Minister of the first democratically elected ministry of the newly formed State of Kerala
, Mundassery master was instrumental in the establishment and restructuring of some of the early universities and prime educational institutions of the state. He was the Vice Chancellor of the Cochin University of Science and Technology
.
Mundassery master was the guru of many pupils at St. Thomas College, Trichur, among whom were the future prominent leaders of Kerala like C. Achutha Menon
and Mathai Manjooran
.
Prof. Joseph Mundassery died in 1977 after a fruitful life of serving the Kerala State in its cultural, educational, and political spheres for about half a century.
Literary Criticism: Kavyapeedhika, Manadandam, Mattoli, Manushyakathanugayikal, Vayanashalayil (3 parts), Rajarajante Mattoli, Natakantham Kavithwam Karinthiri, Kumaranasante Kavitha - Oru Padanam, Valltholinte Kavitha - Oru Padanam Roopabhadratha, Anthareeksham, Prayanam, Pashchathya Sahithya Sameeksha.
Short Stories: Sammanam, Kadaksham, Illapolice.
Travelogues: Ottanoottathil, China Munnottu.
Autobiography: Kozinga Elagal ( part I and part II ).
Kerala
or Keralam is an Indian state located on the Malabar coast of south-west India. It was created on 1 November 1956 by the States Reorganisation Act by combining various Malayalam speaking regions....
state. He was one among the towering literary critics in the Malayalam language and literature. In Kerala politics
Politics of Kerala
Politics in Kerala takes place in a multi-party democratic framework, within the overall context of the national Politics of India. Kerala has a unique position in India, as one of the most politicalized state...
, he is famously remembered as the Education Minister who is the mastermind behind the drafting of the controversial Education Bill
Education Bill
The Education Bill was introduced in the Kerala assembly by Prof. Joseph Mundasseri, the then education minister for the first elected Communist Party of India government...
of the first EMS communist ministry of 1957.
Joseph Mundassery was born at Kandassankadavu, Trichur. After his schooling from a local school he took his Bachelors degree in Physics and later the Masters degree in Sanskrit
Sanskrit
Sanskrit , is a historical Indo-Aryan language and the primary liturgical language of Hinduism, Jainism and Buddhism.Buddhism: besides Pali, see Buddhist Hybrid Sanskrit Today, it is listed as one of the 22 scheduled languages of India and is an official language of the state of Uttarakhand...
and Malayalam. Until 1952, he was the Head of the Department of Foreign Languages at St. Thomas College, Trichur.
Mundassery entered politics through the Kochi Prajamandalam and was elected as a Member of the Legislative Council (MLC) of the princely state of Cochin
Kingdom of Cochin
Kingdom of Cochin was a late medieval Hindu kingdom and later Princely State on the Malabar Coast, South India...
in 1948 from the constituency of Aranattukara. Later on he became an MLC in the Travancore-Cochin
Travancore-Cochin
Travancore-Cochin or Thiru-Kochi is a former state of India . It was created on 1 July 1949 by the merger of two former princely states, the kingdoms of Travancore and Cochin....
Assembly in 1954, from Cherpu.
After the formation of the Kerala State in 1956, he won the Assembly election in 1957, from Manaloor, and went on to become Kerala’s first Education Minister (1957-‘59) in the EMS Communist ministry. And finally in 1970 he was elected as an MLA from Trichur constituency.
A Doyen of Letters and a Cultural Leader
As a prominent figure in the field of Malayalam literary criticismLiterary criticism
Literary criticism is the study, evaluation, and interpretation of literature. Modern literary criticism is often informed by literary theory, which is the philosophical discussion of its methods and goals...
, Mundassery was one among the famous trio of Malayalam critics, the others being Kesari Balakrishna Pillai
Kesari Balakrishna Pillai
Kesari Balakrishna Pillai , was a prominent Malayalam writer, art and literary critic, journalist, thinker and visionary.Kesari Balakrishna Pillai, who was known by the name of the newspaper he ran, "Kesari". He was also a literary critic, essayist and translated literary works form French and...
and M. P. Paul
M. P. Paul
M. P. Paul was a scholar and a well-known literary critic of Malayalam. He was among the torchbearers of the progressive literature movement in Kerala...
. The progressive literary movement of the 1940s owes it existence mostly to the works and efforts of Prof. Mundassery.
Through his controversial theory about Rooparbhadrata – formal excellence – Mundassery ushered in a new chapter of literary hermeneutics, which was unheard of in Malayalam until then. According to the theory the proclaimed aim of the author would inevitably lead to intentional fallacy
Intentional fallacy
Intentional fallacy, in literary criticism, addresses the assumption that the meaning intended by the author of a literary work is of primary importance. By characterizing this assumption as a "fallacy", a critic suggests that the author's intention is not important. The term is an important...
, and that an author should be evaluated on more objective criteria like his role as a spokesman of his age.
He was the President of the Kerala Sahithya Parishad 1965-67, executive (and founding) member of the Kerala Sahithya Academy. He was also instrumental in establishing the Kerala Sangeetha Nataka Academy and was a member of the Kendra Sahithya Academy.
Educationalist Par Excellence
Prof. Joseph Mundassery’s fame as an educationalist rests partly to the reforms that he partially succeeded to bringing about in the educational sector in Kerala when he was the Education Minister. He is the author of the controversial Education BillEducation Bill
The Education Bill was introduced in the Kerala assembly by Prof. Joseph Mundasseri, the then education minister for the first elected Communist Party of India government...
of the First communist ministry of Kerala. To a great extend the proposed bill directly led to the snowballing of the Vimochana Samaram
Vimochana Samaram
The Liberation Struggle is an anti-Communist socio-political agitation started in 1958 against the first elected government in Kerala state, India under Communist Chief Minister E. M. S. Namboodiripad...
and the subsequent downfall of the E.M.S. Namboodiripad's first communist ministry in 1958.
Even though the Education Bill
Education Bill
The Education Bill was introduced in the Kerala assembly by Prof. Joseph Mundasseri, the then education minister for the first elected Communist Party of India government...
failed to pass through the Assembly many of its provisions were later implemented by subsequent governments with amends. As the Education Minister of the first democratically elected ministry of the newly formed State of Kerala
Kerala
or Keralam is an Indian state located on the Malabar coast of south-west India. It was created on 1 November 1956 by the States Reorganisation Act by combining various Malayalam speaking regions....
, Mundassery master was instrumental in the establishment and restructuring of some of the early universities and prime educational institutions of the state. He was the Vice Chancellor of the Cochin University of Science and Technology
Cochin University of Science and Technology
Cochin University of Science and Technology is a government owned autonomous university in Kochi , Kerala, India. Founded in 1971, the university consists of three campuses, two in Kochi and one in Kuttanad, Alappuzha, 66 km inland. The university awards degrees in engineering and allied...
.
Mundassery master was the guru of many pupils at St. Thomas College, Trichur, among whom were the future prominent leaders of Kerala like C. Achutha Menon
C. Achutha Menon
Chelat Achutha Menon was a senior leader of the Communist Party of India . He was the Chief Minister of Kerala state for two terms. The first term was from 1 November 1969 to 1 August 1970 and the second 4 October 1970 to 25 March 1977. Achutha Menon is widely considered as the best Chief Minister...
and Mathai Manjooran
Mathai Manjooran
Mathai Manjooran was an Indian independence activist from Kerala, socialist revolutionary, Member of Parliament, Minister of Labour in the second E.M.S...
.
Prof. Joseph Mundassery died in 1977 after a fruitful life of serving the Kerala State in its cultural, educational, and political spheres for about half a century.
Books
Novels: Professor, Konthayil Ninnu Kurissilekku, Parappurathu Vithacha Vithu.Literary Criticism: Kavyapeedhika, Manadandam, Mattoli, Manushyakathanugayikal, Vayanashalayil (3 parts), Rajarajante Mattoli, Natakantham Kavithwam Karinthiri, Kumaranasante Kavitha - Oru Padanam, Valltholinte Kavitha - Oru Padanam Roopabhadratha, Anthareeksham, Prayanam, Pashchathya Sahithya Sameeksha.
Short Stories: Sammanam, Kadaksham, Illapolice.
Travelogues: Ottanoottathil, China Munnottu.
Autobiography: Kozinga Elagal ( part I and part II ).