THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Poet, linguist and teacher Puthussery Ramachandran has won this year’s Ezhuthachan Puraskaram, the highest award given by the Kerala government to honour lasting contributions to Malayalam language and literature. The award carries `1.5 lakh, a citation and a plaque. Ramachandran, 87, was selected by a panel headed by Kerala Sahitya Akademi president and writer Perumbadavom Sreedharan.
Cultural Affairs Minister K C Joseph, who called on the poet at his Elankom Gardens home in Thiruvananthapuram to congratulate him, said his contributions to the Malayalam language were invaluable. Ramachandran was able to throw light on such works as the ‘Kannassa Ramayanam.’ It was the Kerala University syndicate in which Ramachandran was a member that launched the World Malayali Conference, the minister said. He added that the government would soon announce the date for presenting the award.
Reacting to Monday’s announcement, Puthussery Ramachandran said that the award had come as an inspiration in his old age. He said he was proud to have been selected for an award instituted in the name of Ezhuthachan.
With 10 poetry collections and several translations to his name, Ramachandran has won several accolades in his long literary career. They include the Kerala Sahitya Akademi Award for Overall Contributions, the Bhasha Samman, Mahakavi Ulloor Award, Mahakavi Vallathol Award, the Asan Smaraka Kavitha Puraskaram and the Yesenin Award instituted by Russia to honour poet Sergei Yesenin.
Sooranadu Kunjan Pillai was the first recipient of the Ezhuthachan Award, in 1993. In 2014, it went to poet Vizhnunarayanan Namboothiri. Prof Mohammed Ahmed, Asha Menon, Ezhumattoor Rajaraja Varma and Cultural Affairs Secretary Rani George were the other members of the panel which selected Puthussery Ramachandran.