N. V. Krishna Warrier | |
|---|---|
| Born | (1916-05-13)13 May 1916 Njeruvisseri,Thrissur, India |
| Died | 12 October 1989(1989-10-12) (aged 73) Kozhikode, Kerala |
| Occupation(s) | Poet, scholar, critic, essayist |
| Years active | 1936–1989 |
| Spouse | Lakshmikutty Warasyar |
| Awards | |
N. V. Krishna Warrier (13 May 1916 – 12 October 1989) was an Indian poet, journalist, scholar, academic and political thinker. A prolific writer, Warrier's works covered the genres of poetry, drama, travelogue, translation, children's literature and science. He was a recipient of theSahitya Akademi Award and theKerala Sahitya Akademi Award for Poetry. TheKerala Sahitya Akademi honoured him with their fellowship in 1986, three years before his death in 1989.
Nerukkavu Variam Krishna Warrier was born on 13 May 1916 in Njeruvisseri, nearArattupuzha inThrissur district of the south Indian state ofKerala to Padikkaparambu Warriath Achutha Warrier and Madhavi Warasyar.[1] He had two brothers, Shankara Warrier and Achutha Warrier and a sister, ഇക്കാളിക്കുട്ടി വാരസ്യാർ.[2] His early schooling was at the primary school inVallachira after which he studied at theSanskrit school in Peruvanam where he had the opportunity to study under Meloth Raghavan Nambiar and Keshavan Elayathu, both Sanskrit scholars. Later, he studied grammar under B. Sankaranarayana Shasthri of Tripunithura Sanskrit School (present-dayGovernment Sanskrit College, Tripunithura) to passVyakarana Bhooshanam examination and learnedKavyaprakasham andDhwanyalokam under K. Rama Pisharodi to passKavya Shiromani examination. Simultaneously, he passed HindiVisharad examination too.[1]
Warrier started his career as a tutor at theGovernment Sanskrit College, Tripunithura but moved toSreemoolanagaram Sanskrit School and later to Brahmanandodayam Sanskrit School,Kalady.[1] In 1942, he resigned from his job to participate inQuit India Movement and ran a newspaper,Swathanthra Bharatham while in hiding.[3] Afterwards, he joined Govt High SchoolKodakara as a teacher and in 1948, joinedSree Kerala Varma College as its faculty. Subsequently, he had a short stint atMadras Christian College, too, before joiningMathrubhumi in 1952 as a member of its editorial board where he stayed until he was selected as the founder director ofKerala Bhasha Institute in 1968.[4] After his superannuation from the institute in 1975, he rejoined Mathrubhumi as the chief editor; he also worked withKunkumam weekly for a short while.[5]
Warrier was married to Palakkattu Kattukulath Puthan Warriath Lakshmikutty Warasyar, the marriage taking place in 1948, and the couple had 3 daughters, Usha, Parvathy and Vani, all of them medical doctors.[6] His death came on 12 October 1989 inKozhikode at the age of 73.[1]
Krishna Warrier, apolyglot who could handle 18 languages,[3] was a writer whose body of work covered several genres of literature such as poetry, drama, travelogue, translation, children's literature and science.[7] He was the author theKerala Sahitya Akademi Award winningGandhiyum Godseyum, a poem where he positionedMohandas Gandhi andNathuram Godse in various situations in the post-independent India for commenting on the socio-political state of affairs.[8] Besides other poetry anthologies likeKochuthomman andKalidasante Simhasanam, he also wrote literary criticisms such asVallatholinte Kavyasilpam and a treatise in English, titledA History of Malayalam Metre.[7]
Krishna Warrier was the first editor ofAkhila Vijnana Kosam, an encyclopaedia in Malayalam.[9] He was considered one of the best literary editors of his times.[10][11] He is also credited with efforts on modernisation of Malayalam language; it was during his time as the head of the Kerala Bhasha Institute, the institute initiated efforts to modernise Malayalam typewriter.[12] Krishna Warrier presided theKerala Union of Working Journalists and the Sahitya Pravathaka Sahakarana Sangham (SPCS), served as a member of theSahitya Akademi (advisory committee on Malayalam) andKerala Sahitya Akademi, held the position of the treasurer ofKerala Sasthra Sahithya Parishad, chaired the Sanskrit Committee of the Government of Kerala and sat in the advisory committee of theJnanpith Award.[1]
Kerala Sahitya Akademi selected Krishna Warrier for theirannual award for poetry in 1970, for his work,Gandhiyum Godseyum.[13] Seven years later, he received the 1979Kendra Sahitya Akademi Award for his bookVallatholinte Kavyasilpam (literary criticism).[14] Kerala Sahitya Akademi honoured him again in 1986 with their Fellowship.[15] He was also honoured by theUniversity of Calicut by awarding him the degree of DLitt.[3][16]
Two eponymous organizations have been formed in his memory, the N. V. Krishna Warrior Memorial Trust and the N. V. Sahitya Vedi; the former has instituted an annual literary award, theN. V. Krishna Warrior Literary Award[17] while the latter has its own award in the name of N. V. Sahitya Vedi Award.[18] N. V. Krishna Warrior Memorial Trust have also launched a digital archive to conserve Warrier's work online.[19]
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