Eminent Malayalam Writer M. K. Sanu Passes Away on 2 August
By Amit Kumar
Born on October 27, 1928, in Thumpoly in the erstwhile Kingdom of Travancore, Sanu’s literary and
social contributions spanned more than six decades. He authored at least 36 books across genres,
including literary criticism, biography, memoirs, children’s literature, translations, and essays.
A former professor and widely respected orator, Sanu began his academic career as a lecturer at Sree
Narayana College and Maharaja’s College in the mid-1950s. He retired in 1983, but his contributions
to Kerala’s intellectual and cultural life continued unabated. He was elected as the President of the
Purogamana Kala Sahitya Sangham in 1984 and later held positions including Director of the Sree
Narayana Study Centre and Sree Narayana Chair at Mahatma Gandhi University.
Sanu also had a brief but impactful political stint, serving as the MLA from the Ernakulam Assembly
constituency in 1987. In 1991, he took over as Chief Editor of Kumkumam Weekly and continued to
champion progressive ideas through his writing and public engagements.
He was a lifelong human rights advocate and a founding member of Mithram, a school for the
mentally handicapped in Mulanthuruthy. He was also a permanent member of the International
Body for Human Rights.
Sanu received numerous accolades throughout his life. Among his most prestigious honours were the
Kendra Sahitya Akademi Award (2011) for his biography Basheer: Ekantha Veedhiyile Avadhoothan,
the Ezhuthachan Puraskaram (2013), and a D.Litt. from Mahatma Gandhi University in 2022. His
autobiography Karmagathi also earned critical acclaim.
In 2019, Sanu made headlines after resigning from the Vayalar Ramavarma Memorial Trust over
concerns regarding transparency in award selection. His principled stand eventually led to the
selection of Nireeshwaran by V. J. James for the prestigious award.
His literary voice, grounded in compassion, intellect, and activism, shaped generations of readers and
writers in Kerala. As Kerala mourns the loss of one of its towering literary figures, M. K. Sanu’s legacy
will endure in the ideas he championed and the words he penned.