M. N. Vijayan

M.N. Vijayan (also known as Vijayan Mash) (8 June 1930 – 3 October 2007) was an Indian writer, orator and academic.

Early life

M.N. Vijayan was born in Lokamaleshwaram, Kerala, India. He was educated in Pathinettarayalam L.P. School, Kodungallur Boys High School, Ernakulam Maharajas College, and Government Law College, Ernakulam. He was awarded a Master of Arts in Malayalam Language and Literature from Madras University.

Academic career

He joined Madras New College as a teacher in 1952. He worked as a lecturer at University College, Trivandrum for a brief period before joining Brennen College, Thalassery, in 1960 as malayalam lecturer. He retired in 1985.

Political and journalism career

From 1960 to 1999 M.N.Vijayan stayed at Dharmadam,Thalassery.Vijayan worked as the editor of the cultural weekly Deshabhimani owned by the Communist Party of India (Marxist) (CPI(M)). He was President of Purogamana Kala Sahitya Sangham (Progressive Association for Art and Letters) and Adhinivesha Prathirodha Samithi (Council for Resisting Imperialist Globalisation), a leftist think-tank based in Kerala which collaborated with the CPI(M). He was removed as editor of Deshabhimani when leaders of the provincial Communist Party felt he did not adhere to the party line. He opposed the policy of some state level leaders and other leftist intellectuals to accept foreign funding of political work. He was also for a time the editor of the controversial periodical Padom, notably criticising a Kerala state government program called People's Campaign for Decentralised Planning ( People's Plan) and its creator Thomas Isaac. Vijayan and Professor Sudheesh's articles in Padom against the "people’s plan", a programme aimed at decentralisation of power, became a controversial issue. Later a Kerala court ruled that the allegations of foreign funding of the Kerala Sasthra Sahithya Parishad (KSSP) had been proven by Sudheesh and Vijayan.[1] Vijayan and Sudheesh had started Padom in 2000, and started to attack on CPI(m)'s social democratic stands and attitude towards World Bank and IMF> . He resigned from Purogamana Kala Sahithya Sangham as a result of a disagreement with M. A. Baby, then in charge of the CPI(M).

The cultural programme Manaveeyam of CPI(M)-led LDF government of Kerala was criticised for the extravagance of the programmes and the elitist audience to which the programmes catered, and also for the fact that the "people’s art and culture" gave way to bourgeois concepts under the influence of neoliberalism. Vijayan also led an ideological debate against social democratic deviations. When the leader of Kerala Shastra Sahitya Parishad (a pro-CPI(M) Science forum) M. P. Parameswaran went ahead with his “theory of the fourth world” campaign, it was alleged that a theory that had been opposed by the late ideologue of the party, E. M. S. Namboodiripad, was now being resurrected after his death. Vijayan and his followers resisted P. Govinda Pillai's controversial critical remarks against A. K. Gopalan, Namboodiripad and others on ideological grounds. Though, initially, CPI(M) leadership was forced to expel Parameswaran and Depromote Pillai from the state committee because of the high reputation that Vijayan enjoyed among the party supporters, writers and the literate, later the Social Democrats group got control over the CPI(M) organization. There were similar attacks against other left-leaning intellectuals like Dr. B. Ekbal (leading to Ekbal's expulsion from CPI(M)) who were trying to re-examine the direction of left-wing politics in Kerala.

Vijayan did not attend many public meetings during his last years as a result of his ill health, but continued to write weekly columns in Samakalina Malayalam, an Indian Express group of publications, Janashakthi and Maruvakku. The column was originally published weekly in Deshabhimani until he parted ways with the paper. He is also the editor of the monthly Maruvaakku.

Writings

Most of Vijayan's publications are compilations of his speeches. He is considered to be a powerful orator. He used psychology, Marxism and social science as tools to analyse life and literature. Some prominent writers, including M. Krishnan Nair, Thinakkal Padmanabhan has said that Vijayan's writings are difficult to understand, as he does not follow conventional grammatical structures.V. C. Sreejan, criticizes that Vijayan's style is densely figurative, hence vague and often meaningless. He was a pioneer of the use of psychological criticism in Malayalam Literature, and influenced contemporary Kerala culture.

Vijayan's works were nominated on several occasions for literary awards, but in keeping with a general aversion to institutionalism, he rejected any state-sponsored awards that he won.

List of published works

• Bhayavum Abhayavum (The Fear And Refuge)
• Pradhirodhangal (Resistances)
• Chithayile Velicham (Light In The Pyre)
• M.N. Vijayante Prabhashanangal (M.N. Vijayan's Speeches)
• Varnangalude Sangeetham (The Music Of Colours)
• Kavithayum Manashastravum (Poetry And Psychology)
• Sheersasanam (Standing Upside Down)
• Kazhchappadu (Perspective)
• Vaakkum Manassum (The Speech and The Thought)
• Puthiya Varthamanangal (Latest News)
• Noothana Lokangal (New Worlds)
• Fascisathinte Manashasthram (The Psychology Of The Fascism)
• Marubhumikal Pookkumbol (When The Deserts Blossom)
• Samskaravum Swathanthriavum (The Culture And The Freedom)
• Adhikaram- Anuragam- Athmarahasyangal (Power- Passion- Private Matters)
• Fascism- Prathyaya Shasthram-Prayogam- Pradhirodham (Fascism- The Philosophy -Practice- Protest)

M.N. Vijayan and Kesari BalaKrishna Pillai.

Many in Kerala mistakingly consider that M.N.Vijayan was a student of Kesari Balakrishna Pillai. Unlike Thakazhi, Bashir and others, M.N.Vijayan never met Kesari Balakrishna Pillai during his lifetime. Vijayan was only 30 years old when Kesari Passed away. However it was M.N. Vijayan who took initiative to publish Kesari's invaluable works.

Intellectual mentor and counselor

Though not a qualified medical practitioner, Vijayan worked for many years as a pro bono counsellor, using Freudian techniques. Many writers, intellectuals, journalists and political activists have described him as an intellectual mentor. The November 2007 issue of Samayam Masika was devoted to articles by a variety of public figures about Vijayan and his influence, both on them personally and upon others, including M. T. Vasudevan Nair (writer, film director, Jnanpith Award winner), N .Prabhakaran (writer, academic), Mohanan Cherukadu (writer), Appukkuttan Vallikkunnu (journalist), P. Surendran (writer), Dr. Abdul Azeez (Doctor), Kunhappa Pattanoor (poet), Umesh Babu K.C. (Poet and political activist), A. V. Pavitran (writer), Anil Kumar A. V. (journalist, political activist), Dr. Vatsalan Vatuseeri (writer), Dr. Prabhakaran Pazhassi (writer, Professor), Choorayi Chandran (Political activist, Educationalist), N. Shasidharan (writer).

His studies on Vailoppilli, a well known Malayalam poet, and especially the poems "Mampazham" and "Sahyante makan", using Freudian techniques attained wide acclaim. He was a staunch critic of communal organisations and he used a significant part of his oratory and writings to back Communist Party of India (Marxist) in their ideological and material resistance against the invasion of fascist forces with venomous separatist aims in Tellicherry and Kerala. M.N.Vijayan, his wife and his residence at Dharmadam, Thalassey, provided a haven for people who faced psychological problems. With utmost affection Vijayan mash and his wife served them. He is the general editor of Nammute Sahityam Nammute Samooham (Our Society Our Literature), a four volume research book on literature and society of Kerala.

Vijayan became a mentor for many writers, leftist politicians and journalists. He was a critic of NGOs like Kerala Sasthra Sahithya Parishad which polluted the sensibilities of Malayalees. M.N. Vijayan passed away while he was addressing a press conference in Thrissur, explaining how non- governmentally funded organisations like Kerala Sasthra Sahithya Parishad function in Kerala, camouflaging their imperialist agenda by wearing a leftist mask. Parishath and its activities lost credibility when Ernakulam Chief Judicial Magistrate dismissed the defamation case filed against Patom, a magazine which exposed the fishy trails of such organisations. "You are selling your credibility... It is hijacking democracy ...", Vijayan said about Parishath and its supporters in the last press conference.Thrissur Current Books and Akam Samithi Thalassey published the early works of M.N.Vijayan. Thrissur Current Books published the Complete Works of M.N. Vijayan in ten volumes under different titles, like literature, politics, culture, interviews, speeches, biography, memoirs, etc. The first M.N.Vijayan library was inaugurated at Kannur. Govt. Brennen College Malayalam department has constituted the M.N.Vijayan endowment in 2010 for outstanding students of Malayalam literature.

Study Centre

A study group was established in M.N. Vijayan' name, by M.N.Vijayan Study and Research Centre.

Family

The son of Pathiyasheril Narayana Menon and Moolayil Kochammu Amma, Vijayan was married to Sharada, and has a son, V.S. Anil Kumar (also a writer and lecturer), and two daughters, Dr. Sujatha Balachandran and Sunitha Rajagopal.

Death

Vijayan died of cardiac arrest on October 3, 2007. He was speaking at a televised press conference at Thrissur to explain the defamation case filed by KSSP President Pappootty over an article that appeared in the Paadham magazine. Caught on film, his last words were "It's not the individual, but the nation is important. This language should be used if it has to be heard, it was Bernard Shaw who said this.", and he subsequently collapsed. Kerala Kaumudi left the space of its main headline blank showing respect to him and commented "The death which doesn't have any title." Janashakthi Weekly[2] left its whole editorial page blank to show respect to him. His body was cremated with State honours in Kodungallur, Kerala. Footage of his death have garnered millions of views on video sharing sites such as YouTube.

External links

• Mainstream obituary
• Speech by M.N.Vijayan