The 2024 race has seen more twists than a Hollywood blockbuster
world2 days ago
Azhikode, who was admitted to the Amala Hospital with symptoms of cancer on December 10, breathed his last at around 6.30am. The body will be cremated at Payyambalam Beach in Kannur at 11am on Wednesday with full state honours, Chief Minister Oommen Chandy said.
His friends and fans, wanted the body to be cremated at Trichur, where Azhikode lived most part of his life, but his relatives insisted on taking the mortal remains to his home district. Chandy said that the government will build a memorial for Azhikode in Trichur in consultation with all concerned.
The body was taken to Kannur after it was kept at the Sahitya Academy Hall for the public to pay homage. People from all walks of life thronged the Academy hall to pay their last respects. The mourners included chief minister and many of his cabinet colleagues as well as leaders of most political parties. A bachelor, Azhikode began his career as a teacher at Raja’s high school at Chirackkal in Kannur retired as Pro Vice-Chancellor of Calicut University in 1986. He was also the Chairman of the National Book Trust between 1993 and 1996.
Born in Azhikode village in Kannur district in 1926, he graduated in commerce and later did Masters and doctorate in Malayalam literature. He taught literature in different colleges before joining the Malayalam Department of Calicut University as its head. Azhikode made his presence in the cultural scene of Kerala through his scholarly and inspiring orations on not only literature and philosophy but also other issues. The sound knowledge he acquired in Sanskrit, Malayalam and English helped him in internalizing the classical traditions of all the three languages.
Azhikode’s most famous work Tatvamasi (1984, Malayalam) is considered as one of the most authoritative book on Indian philosophy, Vedas and Upanishads.
This work won him 12 awards including the Sahitya Akademi Award, Kerala Sahitya Akademi Award, Vayalar Award and Rajaji Award.
He refused to accept the Padma Shri conferred on him in 2007 stating that such honours were against the Constitution.
The Constitution, according to him, treated everyone as equal. He argued that giving such honours to some was an act of discrimination.
Meanwhile, tens of thousands of Keralite expatriates in the Gulf countries also mourned the demise of Azhikode. Several community organisations and cultural bodies across the GCC countries expressed their grief and condolences.
news@khaleejtimes.com
The 2024 race has seen more twists than a Hollywood blockbuster
world2 days ago
Time is running out, Antonio Guterres told the 15-member Security Council
world3 days ago
Ukraine now spends roughly half of its state budget — or about $40 billion — on defence
world3 days ago
The advance of Moscow's forces, which control just under a fifth of Ukraine, has underlined Russia's vast superiority in men and materiel
world3 days ago
Teams of enumerators accompanied by soldiers and armed police went door to door in Yangon to fill in the 68-question survey
world3 days ago
The debate is likely the final one of the 2024 presidential campaign, potentially giving it some extra weight ahead of the November 5 election
world3 days ago
Taal is one of the world's smallest active volcanoes and some of its previous eruptions have impacted the capital and air travel
world3 days ago
The 207 to 121 vote was largely a repeat of the Conservatives' failed attempt last week to trigger snap elections
world3 days ago