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.