Azhikode, who was well known as a versatile writer, an outspoken social critic, and orator par excellence, died at a private hospital in the state’s cultural capital of Trichur on Tuesday after battling cancer. He was admitted to the Amala Hospital with symptoms of cancer on Dec. 10 and was on palliative treatment since then. Azhikode’s funeral rites were held with full state honors on Payyambalam beach of the Arabian Sea in the northern district of Kannur, close to his native place of Azhikode on Wednesday at 12:30 p.m.
Apart from being a prolific writer, sharp literary critic and a powerful orator, Azhikode was also popular as an intellectual giant, cultural guru, committed secularist and a champion of human rights and Gandhian ideology. Moreover, he was regarded as an acclaimed authority on Indian thought and literature.
He headed the Malayalam department of Calicut University and later retired as its pro-vice chancellor. Since his retirement in 1986, he became a most busy public speaker in the state. He gave expression to his ideals through more than 35 books, thousands of articles and countless orations.
Azhikode had acquired in-depth knowledge of Indian philosophy, ethics and mythology and had made extensive explorations into Western philosophies. His magnum opus "Tatvamasi" is regarded as an intellectual exploration of the eternal wisdom of the Vedas and Upanishads. This work won him 12 awards including the Indian Sahitya Akademi Award, Kerala Sahitya Akademi Award, Vayalar Award and Rajaji Award. In January 2007, the writer refused to accept the Padma Shri honor from the Indian government, stating such honors are against the constitution. Azhikode was a bachelor.
Azhikode’s love affair with a Vilasini teacher had not been materialized for unknown reasons. The 70-old retired college principal who still remains a bachelor came to meet him at hospital bed last month after a gap of 44 years with a bouquet of fresh red roses symbolizing that she had been passionately in love with him.
Chief Minister Oommen Chandy described Azhikode as one of Kerala's tallest and most multi-faceted personalities. Opposition Leader V.S. Achuthanandan, several Indian federal ministers from Kerala, political leaders and writers as well as hundreds of thousands of people paid homage to the departed versatile genius.
Several writers and leaders of community organizations and cultural and literary bodies across the Gulf countries have expressed their profound grief over the loss of the leader. They conducted condolence meetings to pay respect to the literary giant. Noted academic and writer Prof. C.B Sudhakaran of King Abdul Aziz University told Arab News that the demise of Azhikode created a huge vacuum in the cultural and social realms of Kerala and that he was perhaps the last among the towering personalities who upheld the Gandhian values and honesty in public life.
Writers such as Joseph Atirungal, Abu Iringattiri, Rafeeq Panniyankara, Shakeela Wahab, Sheeba Ramachandran, Usman Irumpuzhi, and Gopi Nedungadi also condoled the death of Azhikode, whose penchant to give vent to ire on social, political and cultural evils often sparked controversies. The Riyadh-based Atirungal said that Azhikode was a unique personality who forgot even to marry while devoting his life to literature and public cause. “His demise was an irreparable loss to the Keralites as he was instrumental in shaping views of the public on most social issues with his outspokenness and precise views. Azhikode spoke and reacted fearlessly to all issues concerning the people and thus influencing Kerala's social fabric for over half a century,” he said while recalling that Azhikode’s scholarly and inspiring orations had given him direct access to the masses.
Iringattiri, a Jeddah-based writer, said Azhikode spared no efforts to make interventions to cleanse undesirable trends in socio-cultural realms. “He was a staunch advocate of social values and fought fearlessly for the genuine causes of the common man,” he said. Several Keralite community organizations and literary forums, including Navodaya Cultural Forum, Overseas Indian Cultural Congress, Kerala Muslim Cultural Center, Indian Muslim Cultural Center, Pravasi Sangham, Navayugam, Riyadh’s Friends Creations, Keli Cultural Forum and Drama Forum in addition to the Indian Media Forum, Tanima Cultural Forum, Cherat Literrary Forum, Sameeksha Literary Forum, and Dammam’s Tarangam Cultural Association also mourned the death of Azhikode.
