The Indian Journalists Union (IJU) deeply mourns the sad demise of one of the most popular Malayalam poets and Jnanpith awardee Mahakavi Akkitham (94) passed away at a private hospital in Thrissur on Thursday.
Akkitham Achyuthan Namboodiri, reputed by the family name “Akkitham”, was one of the most popular Malayalam poets. The epithet ‘Mahakavi’ attached to his name is apt in its entire significance. Emotions, thoughts, view points and vision suggested in his poems in a unique lucid style reveal his sublime personality.
His vision of love is so wide as to include the whole universe keeping the ancient Vedic tradition beyond all religions and politics. His most famous work Irupatham Noottandinte Ithihasom.( Epic of the Twentieth Century), a long poem (Khandakavya-1952) is described as the starting point of Modernism in Malayalam Poetry. It was a subject of debate in Kerala and is still flaming in the hearts of literary critics.
The ostensible title of the poem is not unfounded when it is considered that even after forty years it survives as the precious life-blood of a noble mind. It deals with the tribulations experienced by a sensible person engaged in socio-political action and the search by that person into religions, old and new to find a panacea to human misery and that its lucidity and economy which contribute to an epic simplicity, a critic of the poem said.
Because of it the work was described as an anti-Communist book. During the presentation of the Jnanpith Award to Akkitham on September 24, 2020 – Communist Chief Minister of Kerala Pinarayi Vijayan said Akkitham was never an anti-Communist and during his younger days he worked with the social reformers and Communist leaders like V.T. Bhattathirpad, E.M.S. Namboodiripad and others.
This Epic was written in 1951 and published in Mathrubhumi Weekly on August 30, 1952.
Balidarsanam a long poem which bristles with golden glaze of human love and sharp criticism of the contemporary hypocritic style of modern life has exercised deep influences on poets, critics and readers. It had won the Kendra Sahitya Academy Award in 1973.
Dharama Sooryan a long poem published in 1998 is the lyrical presentation of Mahatmaji Gandhi’s life and works with reflection of his own life-moorings. This is the outcome of research conducted during 1978-82 with Senior Fellowship from the Deptartment of Education, Government of India.
Sreemad Bhagavatam translation from Sanskrit is a voluminous work that comprises 14613 verses running into 2400 printed pages. It is the outcome of the poet’s personality, purity of aesthetic meditation and the most-valued aspiration in his life, it is said.
He was born in Kumaranallur village on the Banks of Bharathapuzha near Thrithala as the son of Akkitham Vasudevan Namboothiri and Chekoor Parvathi Antharjanam on March 13, 1926. His close friend M.T. Vasudevan Nair, another Jnan Peedh awardee also hails from Kumaranallur village of Palakkad on the banks of Bharathapuzha.
Akkitham received the Sanjayan Award in 1952, for his work, Irupatham Noottandinte Ithihasam[9] and the Kerala Sahitya Akademi Award for Poetry in 1971 for Balidarshanam.[ He received two major honours in 1973, the Sahitya Akademi Award for Balidarshanam and the Odakkuzhal Award for Nimisha Kshetram. He was selected for the Asan Smaraka Kavitha Puraskaram in 1994 and, two years later, in 1996 Lalithambika Antharjanam Smaraka Sahitya Award, and the Vallathol Award in 1997.
Another prestigious award was Vayalar Award in 2012. The Kerala Government awarded him Ezhuthachan Puraskaram, their highest literary award in 2016.
He received Padma Shri, the fourth highest civilian award of the Government of India in 2017.[ He could not attend the investiture ceremony due to ill health; the award was later handed over to him by the district collector of Palakkad.
He is also a recipient several other honours such as Krishna Geedhi Award, Nalappad Award, Puthezhan Award, Moorti Devi Award of Bharatiya Jnanpith and Amrita Keerti Puraskar (2004).
B.R. Prajapati, President & G. Prabhakaran, Secretary General, New Delhi, October 15, 2020.