Kesari Balakrishna Pillai
Encyclopedia
Kesari Balakrishna Pillai (1889–1960), 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 other languages to Malayalam in order to give guidance to other writers. Kesari is the most influential figure in modern Kerala's intellectual life. M.N. Vijayan has compiled many of Kesari's works with the title "Kesariyude Lokangal". Many believe that it was Kesari's writings which later inspired M.N. Vijayan's intellectual activism; and together, both helped to transform the Kerala to a modern progressive society. Kesari was also a visionary writer who visualized the idea of a progressive movement in literature. His 'progressive outlook' meant two fundamental things: 1. an underlying idea of (class based)society replacing the emphasis on the genius of the writer. The duty of the writer is to show the inequalities between the social classes and 2. effective propaganda that doesn't compromise the value of art. Through his writings, he tried to create a modern Kerala by presenting his futuristic vision. He was a mentor of many writers. The Trivandrum Kesari Memorial Hall is named after BalakrishnaPillai. When Travancore rulers banned "Kesari", he left Trivandrum and the rest of his life was spent at Paravoor.
His father Damodaran Kartha was a scholar of some repute. Later his father divorced his mother. Pillai had his primary education in Trivandrum and Quilon. He took his B.A in history from Maharaja's College, Trivandrum with distinction. He taught in Women's College, Trivandrum and Trivandrum Maharaja's College for some time. Kesari took his law degree while working. As he was not very successful as a lawyer, he took up journalism career.
, S. K. Pottekkatt
, Vaikom Muhammed Bashir, Kesava Dev and others. Balakrishna Pillai wrote extensively on movements in contemporary European literature. He advocated the use of the other disciplines like sociology and psychology in literary criticism. He helped to transform the Kerala Society with his "Futuristic" visions about a "New World". Pillai helped young writers to familiarise with German, French, Italian, Russian, Spanish, Greek and American literature. He translated Mauppasant, Balzac, Freud, Darwin etc. He wrote articles about Socialist views and Marxist principles. He prepared the youth to step over the barriers of language, nations, and religion and created a new style of life.
With his voracious reading and penetrating analyzing skills, Kesari walked several decades ahead of the rest of the society. Notable personalities like E.M.S
and Thakazhi Sivasankara Pillai
admitted later that they failed to fully understand Kesari's writing on History when he was alive and acknowledged that they could understand it only decades later. Many other notable personalities thought Kesari was "eccentric" partly because it was too incomprehensible for them to take, and also because he used unconventional methods for understanding history. P. Govinda Pillai
commented that Kesari, who otherwise traversed through the blistering spheres of modern thoughts, often aberrated into frivolous anarchism and childishly immature illusions. Academic scholars often failed to take note that, when he actually tried to explore the pre-historical times, there were not enough archeological evidences unearthed as it is the case today, which could help to throw lights on the darker era. Some of the modern historians points out today that, though one has to be careful while taking clues from myths, historians can not totally ignore the indications given by the myths and legends.
Pillai emphasized the importance of using alternative methods to understand pre-historic times and pointed out that comparable legends and myths obtaining in the regions concerned are more useful than archaeological, epigraphical, and literary sources.
Pillai said that ‘Yudhishtira' in Hindu mythology is same as Sumerian ‘Udultur' or identifying ‘Prachinabarhis' of the Puranas with ‘Erystheus' of the Greek legend; he is convinced that ‘Cakshusha Manu' is the same as Greek Danaus
of Argos and Utnapishtim
of Babylon. For him, the “protohistoric Olympiad era can be identified with the Kali or Agasthya era” and “Hercules was the Narasimha incarnation of Vishnu.” If the chronology of all civilisations in the Old World had the same basis, their historical geography, too, rested on the same foundations. So also, in speaking about the “protohistoric” states, the author believes that the ancestors of “the Greeks and the Romans, of the Indians and Persians, of the Chinese and Tibetans, and of the Malays and Polynesians” were the same. Dvaraka was the same as Athens, Kosala was Kish, Mithila was Corinth, and Magadha was Nineveh.
It is observed that though not all may agree totally with his historic conclusions, they are important hypotheses to consider. Kesari raises important questions about methodology is acknowledged by the present day historians.
famously called Kesari as "Petit-Bourgeois intellectual", which later he corrected. It was Prof. T.P.Sukumaran who wrote letter to E.M.S requesting to re-consider his views about Kesari and his intellectual positions. E.M.S replied back saying he has to once again read old writings before stating anything on that subject. Later E.M.S publicly acknowledged the failure of Communist Party leadership in Kerala in rightly understanding the greatness of Kesari. EMS also acknowledged some of the earlier misconceptions of Communist Party with respect to Progressive Literature and Arts movement.
, Culture Minister M. A. Baby
, M. Vijayakumar
, former Kerala University vice-chancellor G. Balamohanan Thampi, P. Govinda Pillai
, Sebastian Paul, K S Ravikumar, A T Mohanraj and C Krishnadas delivered speeches. ‘Kesariyude Lokam' another seminar on Kesari, organised by the Kerala Lalithakala Akademi in Trissur was attended by Sukumar Azheekkode, Lalithakala Akademi chairman C.N. Karunkaran, secretary Satyapal and others.
Vengayil Kunhiraman Nayanar
was another Malayalam writer who was known by the pseudonym "Kesari".
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 other languages to Malayalam in order to give guidance to other writers. Kesari is the most influential figure in modern Kerala's intellectual life. M.N. Vijayan has compiled many of Kesari's works with the title "Kesariyude Lokangal". Many believe that it was Kesari's writings which later inspired M.N. Vijayan's intellectual activism; and together, both helped to transform the Kerala to a modern progressive society. Kesari was also a visionary writer who visualized the idea of a progressive movement in literature. His 'progressive outlook' meant two fundamental things: 1. an underlying idea of (class based)society replacing the emphasis on the genius of the writer. The duty of the writer is to show the inequalities between the social classes and 2. effective propaganda that doesn't compromise the value of art. Through his writings, he tried to create a modern Kerala by presenting his futuristic vision. He was a mentor of many writers. The Trivandrum Kesari Memorial Hall is named after BalakrishnaPillai. When Travancore rulers banned "Kesari", he left Trivandrum and the rest of his life was spent at Paravoor.
Family and early life
Kesari was born in the year 1889. His father was Akathoot Damodaran Kartha and mother Parvathy Amma. Pillai belonged to the Pulickal Mele Veedu family of Thampanoor, Trivandrum. He died on 18 December 1960.His father Damodaran Kartha was a scholar of some repute. Later his father divorced his mother. Pillai had his primary education in Trivandrum and Quilon. He took his B.A in history from Maharaja's College, Trivandrum with distinction. He taught in Women's College, Trivandrum and Trivandrum Maharaja's College for some time. Kesari took his law degree while working. As he was not very successful as a lawyer, he took up journalism career.
Contribution to literature, studies of art
Pillai is considered to be one of the most influential personalities of Kerala in the 20th century. He contributed immensely to Malayalam literary criticism through his innovative, interdisciplinary approach, and his writings on art, particularly painting, are regarded as masterpieces.,. He was a source of inspiration for writers like Thakazhi Sivasankara PillaiThakazhi Sivasankara Pillai
Thakazhi Sivasankara Pillai was a novelist and short story writer of Malayalam language, spoken in Kerala state, South India. He is popularly known as Thakazhi, after his place of birth. He focused on the oppressed classes as the subject of his works, which are known for their attention to...
, S. K. Pottekkatt
S. K. Pottekkatt
Sankaran Kutty Pottekkatt , popularly known as S. K. Pottekkatt, was a famous Malayalam writer from Kerala state, South India...
, Vaikom Muhammed Bashir, Kesava Dev and others. Balakrishna Pillai wrote extensively on movements in contemporary European literature. He advocated the use of the other disciplines like sociology and psychology in literary criticism. He helped to transform the Kerala Society with his "Futuristic" visions about a "New World". Pillai helped young writers to familiarise with German, French, Italian, Russian, Spanish, Greek and American literature. He translated Mauppasant, Balzac, Freud, Darwin etc. He wrote articles about Socialist views and Marxist principles. He prepared the youth to step over the barriers of language, nations, and religion and created a new style of life.
Progressive Arts and Letters Movement
By 1930s the "Jeevat Sahitya Prasthanam" was inaugurated in Malayalam literature by a group of Marxist ideologists and some progressive writers including Pillai, Mundassery and M. P. Paul. Progressive writers tried to give new direction to Malayalam literature. In an era of Western literary and cultural paradigms, they emphasized on the importance of Prose fiction in Malayalam and also advocated for realism in literature. Jeevat Sahitya Prasthanam was later known as "Purogamana Sahitya Prasthanam". (Progressive Association for Arts and Letters).,Alternative methods of history
Pillai has helped to solve many puzzles of ancient history. Though many of his theories were rejected during his times by academic intellectuals, his findings about the connection between the present day inhabitants of India with that of Western Asia is acknowledged by the modern History. Though the first Harappan excavations were done during 1920s, only by the later part of the century, convincing evidences about Aryans migrating to India from Iran and nearby places emerged. However, with his penetrating analyzes, Kesari was able to present this theory decades earlier.With his voracious reading and penetrating analyzing skills, Kesari walked several decades ahead of the rest of the society. Notable personalities like E.M.S
E. M. S. Namboodiripad
Elamkulam Manakkal Sankaran Namboodiripad, , popularly known as EMS, was an Indian Communist leader and the first Chief Minister of Kerala. As the first non-Congress chief minister in independent India, he became the leader of the first democratically elected communist government in the world...
and Thakazhi Sivasankara Pillai
Thakazhi Sivasankara Pillai
Thakazhi Sivasankara Pillai was a novelist and short story writer of Malayalam language, spoken in Kerala state, South India. He is popularly known as Thakazhi, after his place of birth. He focused on the oppressed classes as the subject of his works, which are known for their attention to...
admitted later that they failed to fully understand Kesari's writing on History when he was alive and acknowledged that they could understand it only decades later. Many other notable personalities thought Kesari was "eccentric" partly because it was too incomprehensible for them to take, and also because he used unconventional methods for understanding history. P. Govinda Pillai
P. Govinda Pillai
P. Govinda Pillai, veteran Communist Party of India leader and ideologue from Kerala, India, and former Chief Editor of Deshabhimani, was born on 23 May 1926 at Pulluvazhi, Perumbavoor as the son of Parameswaran Pillai and Parukuttyamma. He graduated with BA Hons...
commented that Kesari, who otherwise traversed through the blistering spheres of modern thoughts, often aberrated into frivolous anarchism and childishly immature illusions. Academic scholars often failed to take note that, when he actually tried to explore the pre-historical times, there were not enough archeological evidences unearthed as it is the case today, which could help to throw lights on the darker era. Some of the modern historians points out today that, though one has to be careful while taking clues from myths, historians can not totally ignore the indications given by the myths and legends.
Pillai emphasized the importance of using alternative methods to understand pre-historic times and pointed out that comparable legends and myths obtaining in the regions concerned are more useful than archaeological, epigraphical, and literary sources.
Pillai said that ‘Yudhishtira' in Hindu mythology is same as Sumerian ‘Udultur' or identifying ‘Prachinabarhis' of the Puranas with ‘Erystheus' of the Greek legend; he is convinced that ‘Cakshusha Manu' is the same as Greek Danaus
Danaus
In Greek mythology Danaus, or Danaos , was the twin brother of Aegyptus and son of Achiroe and Belus, a mythical king of Egypt. The myth of Danaus is a foundation legend of Argos, one of the foremost Mycenaean cities of the Peloponnesus...
of Argos and Utnapishtim
Gilgamesh flood myth
The Gilgamesh flood myth is a deluge story in the Epic of Gilgamesh. Many scholars believe that the flood myth was added to Tablet XI in the "standard version" of the Gilgamesh Epic by an editor who utilized the flood story from the Epic of Atrahasis...
of Babylon. For him, the “protohistoric Olympiad era can be identified with the Kali or Agasthya era” and “Hercules was the Narasimha incarnation of Vishnu.” If the chronology of all civilisations in the Old World had the same basis, their historical geography, too, rested on the same foundations. So also, in speaking about the “protohistoric” states, the author believes that the ancestors of “the Greeks and the Romans, of the Indians and Persians, of the Chinese and Tibetans, and of the Malays and Polynesians” were the same. Dvaraka was the same as Athens, Kosala was Kish, Mithila was Corinth, and Magadha was Nineveh.
It is observed that though not all may agree totally with his historic conclusions, they are important hypotheses to consider. Kesari raises important questions about methodology is acknowledged by the present day historians.
Journalism
Pillai first worked as an editor of "Samadarshi" and later started his own journal "Prabodhakan" by collecting fund from in and out of India. When "Prabodhakan" was banned, A. Balakrishna Pillai founded and published "Kesari" which was an important weekly discussing politics and literature. Through the columns of "Kesari", he fought against the formidable autocracy of the Dewan of the erstwhile princely State of Travancore. "Kesari" also was banned by government because of his unrelenting criticisms against the misdeeds of Government.Polyglot
Pillai knew many Indian and European languages. He was a scholar in French and German, besides speaking his Mother Tongue Malayalam and English.Published books
- Kesariyude Lokangal - Edited by M.N. Vijayan.
- Navalokam (The New World)
- Outlines of the Proto-Historic Chronology of Western Asia.
- Sankethika Nirupanangal Sahitya Nirupanangal
- Rupamanjari.
Controversy about other researchers illegally using Kesari's works.
Unprinted manuscripts of Kesari were collected by C. Krishnadas and U.V. Kumaran, as part of their effort to make the unpublished works of Kesari Balakrishna Pillai available for the readers. But they were stolen from National Book Stall by two prominent Kerala writers and later these writings were illegally used by the first person and also by second person's son. As all the manusripts were copied by hand there were no second copy available immediately. However, with the selfless work of Krishna Das, U.V. Kumaran and various other people under the guidelines of M.N. Vijayan, Collection of Kesari's essays was published in 1984 after 20 years of author's demise. Kesari's English book Proto- History of West Asia was published only in 2009 by Kerala University.M.N. Vijayan and Pillai.
Many in Kerala mistakingly consider that M.N.Vijayan was a student of Kesari Balakrishna Pillai. Unlike Thakazhi, Bashir and others, M.N.Vijayan never met Kesari Balakrishna Pillai during his lifetime. Vijayan was only 30 years old when Kesari Passed away. However it was M.N. Vijayan who took initiative to publish Kesari's invaluable works.E.M.S and Pillai
Kesari was considered to be one of the visionaries of Progressive Movement of Arts and Letters of Kerala. However, later serious difference of opinion emerged between full time Communist Party activists and other personalities, namely Kesari and Joseph Mundassery. In this context, E.M.SE. M. S. Namboodiripad
Elamkulam Manakkal Sankaran Namboodiripad, , popularly known as EMS, was an Indian Communist leader and the first Chief Minister of Kerala. As the first non-Congress chief minister in independent India, he became the leader of the first democratically elected communist government in the world...
famously called Kesari as "Petit-Bourgeois intellectual", which later he corrected. It was Prof. T.P.Sukumaran who wrote letter to E.M.S requesting to re-consider his views about Kesari and his intellectual positions. E.M.S replied back saying he has to once again read old writings before stating anything on that subject. Later E.M.S publicly acknowledged the failure of Communist Party leadership in Kerala in rightly understanding the greatness of Kesari. EMS also acknowledged some of the earlier misconceptions of Communist Party with respect to Progressive Literature and Arts movement.
Chronology
- 1889 - Balakrishna Pillai was born.
- 1909 - Took BA in history from Maharaja's College, Trivandrum.
- 1909 - Started working as teacher in Women's College, Trivandrum.
- 1917 - Resigned from Women's college and started practising as lawyer.
- 1922 - Started Journalism Career. Joined as editor of "Samadarshi"
- 1925- Resigned from "Samadarshi" as his criticism against rulers was not liked by manager.
- 1930- Started "Prabodhakan" after touring in and around India and collecting funds.
- September 1930 - Travancore Government banned "Prabodhakan" for his fearless criticism against it.
- 30 September 1930 - Started "Kesari"
- 1935- Travancore Government cancelled license of "Kesari" and confiscated Press.
- 18 December 1960 - Kesari. A. Balakrishna Pillai's death.
Monuments
Kerala's LDF Government had earlier decided to erect a statue of Kesari Balakrishna Pillai in Thiruvananthapuram on the 50th death anniversary of the journalist, however, sculpture was not completed on the anniversary day. Though, there is one college in the name of Kesari and the Journalist Union building in Thiruvananthapuram bears the name of the Great thinker, there is criticism from some circles that Kesari's name is being used for commercial benefits and very little is done to keep the memory of Kesari alive. It is pointed out that, while journalist union website is keen in publishing commercial ads, it is notable because of the omission of any info about Kesari. Also appalling is that his name is listed in a racist website as one of its members.50th Death Anniversary
On occasion of 50th Death anniversary of Kesari, a seminar was conducted and books titled ‘Kesari A Balakrishna Pillai - Karmaveeryathinte Sooryasobha’ and a collection of Balakrishna Pillai's writings, compiled by the late M.N. Vijayan were released at the Kesari Memorial Hall, Trivandrum. Chief Minister V. S. AchuthanandanV. S. Achuthanandan
Velikkakathu Sankaran Achuthanandan is an Indian politician and a former Chief Minister of the state of Kerala. He had been a member of the Politburo of the Communist Party of India since 1985, and until July 2009, when he was reverted to the Central Committee of the party owing to his...
, Culture Minister M. A. Baby
M. A. Baby
M. A. Baby is an Indian politician. He is the former Education Minister of Kerala State. He is also a Central Committee Member of Communist Party of India .-Early life:...
, M. Vijayakumar
M. Vijayakumar
M. Vijayakumar is an Indian politician and advocate. He is the former Minister for Law in the Government of Kerala and a member of both State and Central Committee of Communist Party of India . He represents the Trivandrum north constituency, Thiruvananthapuram in the Kerala Legislative Assembly...
, former Kerala University vice-chancellor G. Balamohanan Thampi, P. Govinda Pillai
P. Govinda Pillai
P. Govinda Pillai, veteran Communist Party of India leader and ideologue from Kerala, India, and former Chief Editor of Deshabhimani, was born on 23 May 1926 at Pulluvazhi, Perumbavoor as the son of Parameswaran Pillai and Parukuttyamma. He graduated with BA Hons...
, Sebastian Paul, K S Ravikumar, A T Mohanraj and C Krishnadas delivered speeches. ‘Kesariyude Lokam' another seminar on Kesari, organised by the Kerala Lalithakala Akademi in Trissur was attended by Sukumar Azheekkode, Lalithakala Akademi chairman C.N. Karunkaran, secretary Satyapal and others.
Further reading
- "Kesari Balakrishna Pillai" by K. M. George, Sahitya Akademi,1990.
- "Kesari A Balakrishna Pillai - Karmaveeryathinte Sooryasobha" by Information and Public Relations Department
Vengayil Kunhiraman Nayanar
Vengayil Kunhiraman Nayanar
Vengayil Kunhiraman Nayanar was a Malayali barrister, landlord, journalist, essay writer, critic and short story writer. He was one of the pioneers in these fields in Kerala.-Early life:...
was another Malayalam writer who was known by the pseudonym "Kesari".