P R O F I L E - Ponkunnam Varkey
Rebel Literary Legend Ponkunnam Varkey passed Away
by a staff reporter
KOTTAYAM - July 2: The Literary Legend of Malayalam, Ponkunnam Varkey is no more. He passed away today, morning at 10.30 in his residence at Perunjeri in Pambady. In the past few days, he had been suffering from serious kidney problems. Following sudden deterioration of health, Varkey was shifted to Pambady hospital today morning. At the time of his last breath, his daughter Ammu was near him. His wife Clara passed away in 1991. He turned 94 yesterday. Even if Varkley was born on July 1st 1908 in Edathva, Alappuzha, he is a writer identified with Ponkunnam, his mother's place where he happened to live there for quite a few years. 'Ponkunnam Varkey' become a teacher at Christian Management School.
He shot to prominence with his popular short stories and novels. His first work, "Thirumulkaazcha" was written in 1939. In his earlier works he rebelled against rampant corruption in Church. Due to this, he lost his job as a school teacher. His first work won him award from Madras University.
His story "Model", written against Travancore Diwan Sir C.P.Ramaswami Iyer's instruction to start an American model rule lead to his arrest and the banning of the story in Travancore. He has written around 120 short stories, plays and around 14 dramas. His "Shabdikkunna Kalappa" is considered to be one of his world-class works. He has worked as Kerala Sahitya Academy President, Purogamana Sahitya Sanghadana Secretary and Sahitya Pravarthaka Sangham Secretary. He won many awards including Kaladarsana (1995), Ezhuthachan Puraskaram (1997), Koduppunna Award, Kerala Sahitya Academy Fellowship, Kerala State Film Critic Award, and Vallathol award. His important dramas include Kathiru Kaanakili, Swargam Naanikkunnu and Visarikku Kaattu Venda. Other prominent works include Ente Vazhithirivu, Mantrikette, and Althara.
He wrote for the poor and downtrodden and fought against the feudal system that prevailed in Kerala society. His outspoken nature and open criticisms against various social evils and the Church as an institution earned him the title of 'The Rebel'. He always rebelled against the conventional hypocrisy in society. His stories revolved around themes of disloyalty and treachery, which prevailed in the society in his novels and stories and this gave him immense popularity and fan following. He wanted the common man to go against such negative aspects that remains prevalent in the society. His demise is undoubtedly a great loss to the Malayalam literary scenario and also the end of a progressive era of Malayalam literary world. -Keralamonitor.com
More About Varkey
Pravasi Bandhu Trust Urges Antony to Reduce Fees for NRI Quota Students
Pravasi Bandhu Welfare Trust
Post Box No. 940, Sharjah, UAE Mob: 00971506467801To Shree A K Antony
The Chief Minister of Kerala
ThiruvanandapuramDear Sir,
We appreciate you for taking a ministerial decision to reserve 15% seats for children of NRIs in professional collages under management quota. But the students have to pay very high fee compare to other students who are getting admission under management quota. Majority of the students utilizing this reservation are children of Non- Resident Indians from GCC countries who are from low and middle income category of NRIs working in Gulf countries.
On their behalf, Pravasi Bandhu Welfare Trust request you to levy fees at same rate as of students getting admission under management quota. Thousands of NRIs working in GCC countries will appreciate a favorable reply from you.
Thank you Sir,
For Pravasi Bandhu Welfare Trust
K V Shamsudheen
Charman
cc. Shree Nalakath Sooppy, Minister of Eduction, Govt. of Kerala , Press, T V, Radio
Raghavan Appointed Ambassador to Czech Republic
Shri P.S. Raghavan presently Joint Secretary on deputation to PMO, New Delhi has been appointed as the next ambassador of India to the Czech Republic. He is expected to take up his assignment shortly.
OBSTRUCTION ON TRACK BLAMED FOR TRAIN ACCIDENT ON KONKAN RAILWAY
Preliminary findings of a statutory enquiry by the Commissioner of Railway Safety, Central Circle, Mumbai, Shri Sudhir Kumar, into the derailment of 2620 UP Matsyagandha Express, which occurred on June 16, 2004 between Veel and Karanjadi stations of the Konkan Railway, have held that the accident was caused by failure of east side slope of Ambivali cutting resulting in boulder and soil fall, resulting in obstruction on track.As a result of this accident, 15 passengers lost their lives, 39 passengers suffered grievous injuries and 65 simple injuries.The Konkan Railway Corporation has now been advised to observe a speed restriction of 75 kilometres per hour from Veel to Vaibhavawadi and introduce monsoon patrolling in potentially vulnerable sections of the 760 kms. long route.
DIALOGUE ON MINORITY WELFARE AND EDUCATION – A BACKGROUNDER
NEW DELHI - The Prime Minister. Dr. Manmohan Singh will open a one-day Conference on Minority Welfare and Education here tomorrow. Pitched on the Common Minimum Programme (CMP), the Conference will help in the consultative process with representatives of eminent Minority Institutions, academicians, educationists, journalists, political leaders of several national parties and Union Ministers. Issues relating to Minority Educational Institutions and their problems such as reservations, affiliation, admissions etc. and making available modern and technical education among minority communities will come up for discussion at the Conference. Representatives of several religious denominations- Muslims, Parsees, Jains, Sikhs etc. will be attending the Conference. The President of Ram Krishna Math and Rama Krishna Mission, Swami Ranganathananda has also been invited to contribute to the deliberations.
Some of the Important personalities likely to attend the Conference are: S/Shri Vincent Concessao, Archbishop of Delhi; S.M.H. Burney; Saiyid Hamid, Chancellor, Jamia Hamdard; Anil Wilson, Principal St. Stephen’s College, Chandhok Singh, Chairman, Delhi Gurudwara Parbandhak Committee; Khursheed Alam Khan, Tarlochan Singh, Chairman, National Commission for Minorities; Dr. Mani Jacob; Prof. Mushirul Hasan; Dr. Rafiq Zakaria; Salman Khursheed; Maulan Mukhtar Ahmad Nadvi; Prof. Afzal Mohammad; Denzil Saldana; Prof Imtiyaz Ahmad; Dr. John Kurian; Swami Ranganathananda; Prof. Yash Pal, Prof. Irfan Habib, Dr. Paul Dhinkaran; Prof. Riaz Shakir Khan, Union Ministers Shri Pranab Mukherjee; Shri Ghulam Nabi Azad; Shri Sharad Pawar; Shri Anbu Mani Rama Doss. Political leaders e.g., Shri Harkrishan Singh Surjit; Shri A. B. Bardhan; Ms. Mayawati have also been invited to the Conference.
It will be recalled here that the Common Minimum Programme (CMP) of United Progressive Alliances mentions the following for the welfare and educational advancement of minorities.
1. The UPA Government will amend the Constitution to establish a commission for Minority Educational Institutions that will provide direct affiliation for minority professional institutions to central universities.
2. The UPA will promote modern and technical education among all minority communities. Social and economic empowerment of minorities through more systematic attention to education and employment will be a priority concern for the UPA.
3. UPA will also strive for recognition and promotion of Urdu language under Article 345 and 347 of the Constitution.
Giving effect to the above postulates of Common Minimum Programme may require certain policy decisions and structural changes in the implementation mechanism. Therefore, it was thought appropriate by the Human Resource Development Minister, Shri Arjun Singh to have consultations with the representatives of minorities across the spectrum to solicit their views on these postulates. Based on these deliberations, action points for implementing the Common Minimum Programme will be devised.
Some of the major articles relating to minorities in Indian Constitution are as follows:
Article 29. Protection of interest of minorities:-
1. Any section of the citizen residing in the territory of Indian or any part thereof having a distinct language, script or culture of its own shall have the right to conserve the same.
2. No citizen shall be denied admission into any educational institution maintained by the State or receiving aid out of State funds on ground only of religion race, caste, language or any of them.
Article 30. Right of minorities to establish and administer educational
Institutions:-
1. All minorities, whether based on religion or language, shall have the right to establish and administer educational institutions of their choice. In making any law providing for the compulsory acquisition of any property of an educational institution established and administered by a minority, referred to in clause (1), the State shall ensure that the amount fixed by or determined under such law for the acquisition of such property is such as would not restrict or abrogate the right guaranteed under the clause.
2. The State shall not, in grating aid to educational institutions, discriminate against any educational institution on the ground that it is under the management of a minority, whether based or religion or language.
Article 345. Official language or languages of a State:-
Subject to the provisions of article 346 and 347, the Legislature of a State may by law adopt any one or more of the languages in use in the State or Hindi as the language or languages to be used for all or any of the official purposes of that State:-
Provided that, until the Legislature of the State otherwise provides by law, the English language shall continue to be used for those officials purposes within the State for which it was being use immediately before the commencement of this Constitution.
Article 347: Special Provision relating to language spoken by a section of the population of a State.
On a demand being made in that behalf the President may, if he is satisfied that a substantial proportion of the population of a State desire the use of any language spoken by them to be recognized by that State, direct that such language shall also be officially recognized throughout that State or any part thereof for such purpose as he may specify.
