Sri. P. N. Karunakaran (Puthenveettil Narayanan Karunakaran), popularly known as Kambisseri Karunakaran (3 March 1922 – 27 July 1977) was an Indian journalist who wrote in Malayalam language. He was the chief editor of Janayugam Daily, Balayugam (Children's monthly), the Novel Pathippu (Monthly novel issue), Cine Rama (Fortnightly movie magazine), and Janayugam Varika (Weekly), a group of publications in Malayalam language, owned by the Communist Party of India. Beside being a journalist he was a politician, writer, orator, actor, satirist, atheist and rationalist.
He was an MLA, Member of Thiru-Kochi (Travancore-Cochin) Legislative Assembly from 1952 to 1954 representing Kayamkulam constituency.
Many times he was a member of the Kerala State film awards committee.
He died aged 55 around 4.30 P.M. on 27 July 1977 at the pay ward of the Medical College Hospital at Thiruvananthapuram, the capital of the Kerala state. According to his wishes, his burial was conducted without social niceties and religious ceremonies within six hours of his death, at his ancestral house "Kambisseri" at Vallikunnam in Alleppey district. The junction near the house is named in his honour as "Kambisseri Mukku" (Kambisseri Junction). A school in Vallikunnam is also named after him and is known as Kambisseri Karunakaran Memorial Government Vocational Higher Secondary School (K.K.M. Govt. V.H.S.S), Vattakkadu, Elippakulam.
Biography
Early life and background
P. N. Karunakaran alias Kambisseri Karunakaran was born on 3 March 1922 at Vallikunnam, Alleppey as the son of Kambisseri Kochikka Channar and Kunjikka (a member of the Ayathil Puthenveedu family at Elavumthitta in the present Pathanamthitta district). Karunakaran grew up imbibing the revolutionary and rationalist qualities of his father. However, unlike his father, Karunakaran was of quiet and soft temperament. He was only eight years old when his mother died. Following this, his father remarried and he was cared for by his eldest sister, Lakshmi amma. Karunakaran was susceptible to a variety of illnesses.
His early school education was undertaken at Areekara primary school in Vallikunnam, which was established as a result of his father's untiring efforts. Further, he studied at a primary school at Vattakad, Vallikunnam till fourth grade. He completed his middle school education at the S. N. D. P. Sanskrit school in Vallikunnam and later moved on to the Government Sanskrit High school.
He completed the madras matriculation examination in 1938 and joined the Trivandrum Sanskrit college. He could not complete his 'Mahopadhyaya' education there as he was jailed in the final year of study for participating in the freedom movement. He was in the Congress party.
Political activism
While Karunakaran's active involvement in politics might seem limited, all of his activities - including his work as a journalist, actor and as the secretary of KPAC was rooted in his political beliefs.
Vallikunnam of the 1930s was the site for Karunakaran's first foray into political activism. Inspired by his activist father, Kambisseri Kochikka Channaar and encouraged by supportive friends, a teenage Kambisseri began his foray into politics with the formation of 'Vallikunnam Yuvajana Samsat'. The Samsat initiated several youth into active politics and infused a new energy into the political scene in Vallikunnam. Soon, a hand-written magazine by the name of 'Bharatha Thozhilali' was started under the aegis of Karunakaran and Thoppil Bhasi. Though these activities fizzled out due to strict orders from the elders, Karunakaran's spirit to work for the betterment of the society did not die.
During his university days at Trivandram, Karunakaran, with his Gandhian spirit soon got involved in active politics. It was during his final year, as he was preparing to write the final examinations that he was involved in the picketing of University Arts College. While several students backed out fearing police brutality, Karunakaran refused to back down. He was arrested during the picketing and sent to a jail at Eraniyal in Tamil Nadu.
It was during this six month long imprisonment that Karunakaran became deeply acquainted with the socialist ideology. In Jail, he was greatly influenced by fellow inmates such as Puthupally Raghavan, P. Jeevanandham and Ilangovan Rajasekharan. It was during the imprisonment that he read The Communist Manifesto and other seminal works on Socialism. The debates, discussions and conversations in Jail gave Karunakaran a novel perspective. These influenced led him to form an organisation called 'Bharatha Thozhilali' post his imprisonment.