Malappurath Raman Chandrasekharan (26 February 1929 – 4 December 2024), also known as M. R. C., was an Indian Malayalam literary critic and author from Kerala. Chandrasekharan published more than 50 books in different literary sections like literary criticism, translations, politics, social etc. He also worked in the field of journalism and education. He won the 2010 Kerala Sahitya Akademi Award for Literary Criticism.
Biography Chandrasekharan was born on 26 February 1929 at Pottore, Thrissur in Kerala. His childhood days were spent in the village where he attended the Tirur Lower Secondary School and Vivekodayam High School, Thrissur. He took his bachelor's degree from Sree Kerala Varma College, Thrissur, BOL from University of Madras and later his master's degree from Kerala University in Malayalam language and literature.
Chandrasekharan started his career as a journalist in Navajeevan edited by Joseph Mundassery for the CPI. Subsequently, he joined as a sub-editor in Mathrubhumi daily in Kozhikode, but was sent out for his communist leanings.
He worked as a school teacher at Kodakara National High School and Bekal Govt. High School. He joined as a lecturer at Malabar Christian College, Kozhikode, in 1956 and moved to Payyannur College, Kannur as senior lecturer in 1965. He retired from Payyannur College, Kannur after over 30 years of teaching service in the year 1989. After retirement he also worked as Malayalam Professor in Sree Sankaracharya University of Sanskrit.
He later settled at Ananganadi P.O.Panamanna, Ottappalam in Palghat district, Kerala. He was active with his writings and enjoyed the challenge of organic farming.
Chandrasekharan died on 4 December 2024, at the age of 95.
Positions held Chandrasekharan was very much involved in The All Kerala Private College Teachers' Association (AKPCTA) and was a college committee secretary, regional secretary, regional president, general secretary and president of the association. As association representative, he was elected to the Calicut University senate and syndicate.
He was a member of Kerala Sahithya Academy general council and its executive committee.
Chandrasekharan was one of the directors of the Calicut City Service Co-Operative Bank from 2006 to 2013.
He was a member of the Academic Council of Thunchath Ezhuthachan Malayalam University established in 2012.
In 1961, when Kerala Sahithya Samiti was formed with Kuttipuzha Krishna Pillai as president, S. K. Pottekkatt as vice-president, N. V. Krishna Warrier as general secretary in Kozhikode, MRC and Vayalar Ramavarma were named secretaries. MRC was later general secretary and president of the organisation.
He was also involved in the formation in 1969 of the Deshabhimani Study Circle, cited as a vigorous and widespread literary movement in Kerala along with E. M. S. Namboodiripad, M.S.Devadas and P.Govindapillai.
He published the literary critical journal Sahithya Samithi Masika from Payyanur from 1976 to 1980.
In 1969, when he was the research officer at Kerala Bhasha Institute, he worked as the executive editor of the magazine Vignana Kairali ().
After retirement in 1989, he took up the editorship of a magazine called Chindana ( ) published in Kannur.
He was the editor of CMP's weekly journal Malayala Mannu (Malayalam:മലയാളമണ്ണ്) from 1990 to 2013.
Awards and honours Chandrasekharan won the 2010 Kerala Sahitya Akademi Award for Literary Criticism for his book Malayalam Novel Innum Innaleyum.Kerala Sahitya Akademi Award for Literary Criticism
He won the Dr. C.P.Menon Award for The Study of the Progressive School in Literature for his book Keralathile purogamana sahitya prastanathinte charithram in 2005.
Chandrasekharan also won the M. N. Sathyaardhi Award in recognition of his contributions to Malayalam literature as a translator. The award was instituted by the M.N. Sathyarthi Trust in memory of the writer who is remembered for his translations of many popular Indian-language works into Malayalam.
He was awarded the MVR award in 2018.എം.വി.ആർ. അവാർഡ് എം.ആർ. ചന്ദ്രശേഖരന്
Bibliography Literary criticism
#NameTranslation in EnglishYear of publishing, Publisher 1 Laghuniroopanangal Light Critical Works 1964, P.K.Bros Calicut 2 Niroopakante Raajyabaaram The Critic's Sway 1965, Current Books Thrissur 3 Sathyavum Kavithayum Reality and Poetry 1979, Poorna Publications Calicut 4 Gopuram The Tower 1989, Current Books Thrissur 5 Grandhapooja Worshiping Books 1996, S.P.C.S.Ltd Kottayam 6 Communist Kavithrayam Three Communist Poets - P. Bhaskaran, Vayalar Ramavarma, O.N.V. Kurup 1998, Current Books Thrissur 7 Malayala Sahityam Swaathanthrya Labdikku Shesham Malayalam Literature after the attainment of Independence 1999, S.P.C.S.Ltd Kottayam 8 Ezhuthile Ponnu The Golden Writing 2001, Prabhat Book House Trivandrum 9 Maneeshikal The visionaries among writers 2005, Lipi Book Publishers Calicut 10 Malayalam Novel Innum Innaleyum Malayalam Novel - Today and Yesterday 2007, Samayam Books Kannur 11 Mundassery - Sahithya Vimarshanathinte Prathaapa Kaalam Mundasseri - Golden Years of Literary Criticism 2008, Green Books Thrissur 12 Krishnagadha Vimarshanam - chila thiruthalukal Criticism of Krishnagatha- Some Corrections 2008, Poorna Books Calicut 13 Adyathma Ramayanam Vimarshanam Criticism of Ramayana, The Epic 2008, Samayam Books Kannur 14 Shishirathile Pookkal Flowers in the Winter 2010, S.P.C.S.Ltd Kottayam 15 Karamullum Kaattupookkalude Karachilum The Thorns and Cries of Wild flowers 2012, Kerala Sahithya Academy Thrissur 16 Theechoolayil Venthurukaathe Life inside a Furnace 2012, S.P.C.S.Ltd Kottayam 17 Keralathile purogamana sahitya prastanathinte charithram - Sahithya prastana padanam History of Forward Thinking Literary Movement in Kerala 1996, Olive Books Calicut 18 Swapnadanam Literary Criticism of selected works of O.V.Vijayan and Mohan Kumar. 2022, India Books Calicut 18 Mahakavi Sapthakam Poetical Criticism of seven Poets in malayalam 2020, Green Books, Thrissur
Political thinking #NameTranslation in EnglishYear of publishing, publisher 1 Communism chila thiruthalukal Communism - Some Critical notes 1999, Kalaveekshanam Books Calicut 2 Keralathile Communism Communism in Kerala 2000, Kalaveekshanam Books Calicut 3 Kerala modelilekku oru kilivaathil An eye on the Kerala Model 2001, Haritham Books Calicut 4 Marx nte viplavavum Lenin nte athiviplavavum Revolution of Marx and Extreme revolution of Lenin 2018, Self Publication 5 Chenkodi parvam The Reds 2022, India Books
Social List of Social Books by M. R. C. #NameTranslation in EnglishYear of publishing, Publisher 1 Manushyavakaashangal Human Rights (Translation) 1962, Southern Languages Book Trust Madras 2 India innu evide nilkkunnu whither stands India Today 2003, State Institute of Languages Trivandrum 3 Universitykalile Upaplavangal Heteronomy in Universities 2021, India Books Kozhikode
Memoirs #NameTranslation in EnglishYear of publishing, Publisher 1 Oormayude Pushtakam A Book of Memories 2003, Current Books Thrissur 2 Sahithyathil Diggajangalude oru kalaghattam The Time of Colossal figures in Malayalam Literature 2006, Poorna Publications Calicut 3 Ente jeevithakadhayile N.V parvam The N. V. Chapter in my literary life story 2010, 2016 2nd Edition Green Books Thrissur 4 Kudumba parvam The Family Chapter of my life story 2011, Maluban Publishers Trivandrum 5 Balikuteerangalkkoru Ormapusthakam A memoir for sacrificial stone temples 2015, Green Books Thrissur 6 Samgrama parvangal Different battles of my life 2022, India Books Calicut
Novel translation #NameTranslation in EnglishOriginalYear of publishing, Publisher 1 Padivathilkkal At the outer gate On the eve, Russian, Ivan Turgenev 1955, Prabhath Book House Ernakulam 2 Kokoro KokoroKokoro Japanese Novel 1962, Southern Languages Book Trust Madras 3 Uzhuthumaricha Puthumannu Virgin Soil Upturned Russian, Mikhail Sholokhov 1962, CICC Books Ernakulam 4 Don Nadeetheerathe Koithu Harvest on the Don Russian, Mikhail Sholokhov 1962, CICC Books Ernakulam2015, S.P.C.S. Ltd. Kottayam 5 Genghis Khan Genghis Khan-The world Conqueror (Historical Biography) Harold Lamb 1963, Current Books Thrissur 6 Timoor Timoor Historical Biography Tamerlane Harold Lamb 1963, Current Books Thrissur 7 Maattivecha Talakal The Transposed Heads German, Thomas Mann 1979, Chintha Books Trivandrum New Edition 2024, Freelance Books Thrissur 8 Kalanju Kittiya Mookku The Nose Russian, Nikolai Gogol 2006, Lipi Publications Calicut
Science translation #NameTranslation in EnglishYear of publishing 1 Naam jeevikkunna ee lookam The World We Live in 1959, Mathrubhumi Co Calicut 2 maanathekku nookkumpol Let us Look at the Sky 1961, Southern Languages Book Trust Madras
Children's literature #NameTranslation in EnglishOriginalYear of publishing, Publisher 1 Srugaalan enna kurukkan A Fox Named Srigalan Reynard the fox(British Folklore) 2004, Current Books Thrissur 2 moonnu bala saahithya kruthikal Three Stories for Children Oscar Wilde 2010, Lipi Publications Calicut
Other genres #NameTranslation in EnglishYear of publishing, publisher 1 Mushaayira Poem Collections Kerala Sahithya Samiti 2004, Prabhakar Book Stall Shornur 2 aana undaayirunna veedu A House which owned an elephant (novel) 2012, Samayam Books Kannur 3 Vilakkukal Puthiyathum Pazhayathum Collection of literary articles 2016, S.P.C.S Ltd. Kottayam 4 Vilakkukal Puthiyathum Pazhayathum Collection of essays by N.V.Krishna Warrier 2006, Kerala Sahitya Akademi, Thrissur
Journals edited #NamePublisher 1 Yuva Bhavana Published from Calicut 2 Vijnana Kairali Journal of Kerala Language Institute, Tvm 3 Sahithya Samithi Masika Published from Payyannur, Kannur District 4 Chinthana Weekly Published from Kannur District 5 Malayala Mannu Weekly Published from Kannur District
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