Historian Dalit Bandhu N K Jose dies
KOTTAYAM : Historian and author of Dalit history books, N K Jose, affectionately known as Dalit Bandhu, passed away in Vaikom on Tuesday. He was 95 and had been battling age-related ailments for some time. A funeral service will be held on the premises of his home at a later date. Jose was a prolific writer, having penned over 145 books on Kerala history, with a focus on Dalit history.
Born on February 29, 1929, Jose received his education at various schools and colleges in Kottayam and Ernakulam before joining the Gandhi Ashram in Wardha, Maharashtra, where he worked for six years. Influenced by leaders such as Ram Manohar Lohia, Vinoba Bhave, and Jayaprakash Narayan, Jose entered politics and held positions as the district secretary of the Praja Socialist Party (PSP) and general secretary of the Catholic Congress before dedicating himself to researching Dalit history. Intrigued by Dr B R Ambedkar’s ideas, Jose later left politics to become a full-time researcher of Dalit history. At the age of 23, he wrote his first book, Capitalism in India.