Kuttipuzha Krishna Pillai | |
|---|---|
| Born | (1900-08-01)1 August 1900 Kuttipuzha,Paravur, Ernakulam, Kerala, India |
| Died | 11 February 1971(1971-02-11) (aged 70) Angamali,Ernakulam, Kerala |
| Occupation(s) | Critic, scholar, journalist |
| Notable work |
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| Parents |
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| Awards | Soviet Land Nehru Award |
Kuttipuzha Krishna Pillai (1 August 1900 – 11 February 1971), was an Indian scholar, journalist, philosopher, atheist and critic ofMalayalam language. Counted among the prominent literary critics of the language, he wrote a number of books covering the genres of literary criticism and philosophy. He presided over theKerala Sahitya Akademi, chaired the advisory board of theKerala Bhasha Institute as anex-officio member and was a recipient of theSoviet Land Nehru Award.
Krishna Pillai added the moniker Kuttipuzha to his name after the village inParavur inErnakulam district of the south Indian state ofKerala where he was born on 1 August 1900 to Oorumanakkal Sankaran Nambuthiri and Kurungattuveettil Devaki Amma.[1] His schooling was at Ayiroor Primary School and St. Mary's High School,Aluva and after passing the school final examination in 1921, he joined theAlwaye Advaita Ashram school the next year. He stayed at the school until 1928 during which time he resumed his studies to pass the vidwan examination of theUniversity of Madras to join theUnion Christian College, Aluva as a faculty at the department of Malayalam, without interrupting his own studies to pass the degree of BOL in 1940. Before his superannuation from service as a professor in 1961, he sat in the senate of theUniversity of Kerala in 1958.[1]
Krishna Pillai, who remained a bachelor throughout his life, served as the president of thekerala Sahitya Akademi during 1968–71and was anex-officio member of the advisory council of theKerala Bhasha Institute.[2] He also held several noted positions such as those of the convener of the text book committee and the director of the Children's literature workshop. It was during a function inAluva on the last day of 1970, he fell unconscious and was taken to a hospital inAngamali where he died on 11 February 1971, at the age of 70.[1]
Krishna Pillai was known to have been among the writers who led Malayalam literature forward from the narrative prose of earlier writers such asKottarathil Sankunni.[3][4][5] He was a scholar of western and oriental philosophy and his book on philosophy,Vichara Viplavam was considered by many as an influential philosophical text.[6][7] He was an atheist and he introduced different philosophical schools to Malayalam language through his works.[8] His oeuvre comprises 19 books, which includeKuttipuzhayude Prabandangal - Thatwachitha,Kuttipuzhayude Prabandangal - Sahityavimarsham andKuttipuzhayude Prabandangal - Nireekshanam, all the three published by Kerala Sahtya Akademi.[9]Changampuzha Krishna Pillai was among the writers who were impressed by his scholarship and the poet dedicated one of his poems,Yavanika to Krishna Pillai.[10]
Krishna Pillai was a recipient of Soviet Land Nehru Award.[1] The Union Christian College where he spent most of his career, have instituted an annual scholarship,Prof. Kuttipuzha Krishna Pillai Memorial Endowment Scholarship and an annual award,Prof. Kuttipuzha Krishna Pillai Memorial Prize, in his honour.[11]
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