Dr. Kunhaman, Well-Known Economist and Dalit Voice Of Kerala Is No More
Distinguished economist, thinker and a powerful Dalit voice, Dr M. Kunhaman is no more. He was found dead today, on his 74 th birthday, at his residence at Sreekaryam, Thiruvananthapuram, reported Mathrubhumi.
A year ago, Dr. Kunhaman had decided to wind up his academics and settle down in Thiruvananthapuram. He has left an indelible mark through his contributions to the Dalit cause in the state. He is the second Dalit postgraduate from the state after K R Narayanan, the former President of India. Dr. Kunhaman has served as a member of the University Grants Commission (UGC) and has also written several books on economics and Dalit matters.
In the year 2021, his autobiography, ‘Ethiru’ had won the Kerala Sahitya Akademi award for the best autobiography in Malayalam. He refused to accept the award, saying that he never wrote anything for such receptions. “I am opposed even to the mere concept of awards,” he had said once while speaking to the South First. He had also added that, “the book is not a glorification of my achievements in life. I visualised it as a window into the Dalit situation in Kerala over the years.”
His autobiography, ‘Ethiru’, literally translates as, ‘to oppose or the opposite.’ The book speaks of the difficult journey – the struggles and discriminations, the battles for existence or mere survival in the face of adversity, that, he had to undertake as a Dalit boy. He has narrated many stories from his life that he had to undergo. One such story was about borrowing money for attending the felicitation for his first rank in post-graduation, to receive a gold medal, only to sell it off after three days in order to buy food for his family. There was another incident where he narrates that he had to compete with a hungry pet dog of a landlord for some rice gruel. He writes about it as a contest between two hungry hounds, the South First said. The autobiography was published by DC Books and has been translated into English with the title “Dissent.” His work stands up and reflects the other side of the egalitarian society and strong notions of social justice that the state takes pride in.
Professor Kunhaman”s significant contributions are not only in the field of Dalit causes and writings but also in land distributions and agrarian relations. He has written books on Development of Tribal Economy, State-Level Planning In India, Globalisation: A Subaltern Perspective and Economic Development And Social Change.
After MA Economics at Calicut University in 1974, he further pursued PhD from the Centre for Development Studies (CDS) in Thiruvananthapuram and later went on to join the department of Economics at Kerala University. He also taught at the Tuljapur campus of the Tata Institute of Social Sciences (TISS).
Dr. Kunhaman, who belonged to the Panan community was born on third December 1949, at Vadanamkurussi which is part of Palakkad district. His parents were Chorona and Ayyappan. He believed that the country, in order to empower the weak, needed to have more democratic discourses. His life’s journey, from childhood to the last breath is an insight and an inspiration.
