O J's Corner : Reflections

Ayyappa Paniker, the genius

In the death of Dr K Ayyappa Paniker, we have lost a Kerala’s son with world vision, a genius, poet, critic and teacher. The compendious personality was so frugal-looking, yet majestic. There was an aura about him, with academic, literary, poetic and intellectual acumen all rolled up in one.

Superficialists know him as post-modernist poet in Malayalam who has crafted lines without meter, rhyme and framework, yet full of irony and satire. Maybe, this was the popular perspective as well.

He was a person who imbibed a wealth of knowledge in classical literature before doing the never-attempted post-modern creations. He became the pioneer in that branch where several others bloomed  later. Others did not have his depth of knowledge and erudition.

His was a full life, always engaged in studies transcending literary straitjacket.

We are getting starved of towering personalities who are academically brilliant and monumentally well-read.

Power and position were nothing to them. Sitting in the guest house of the American Studies Research Centre in Hyderabad years ago, Dr Ayyappa Paniker had told me of the plus point of being a teacher. Once he was at the Delhi airport on his way abroad, when a young woman came forward and introduced herself. She was the Collector in some north Indian district. She was the student of Dr Paniker.

Great personalities behave like simple beings. They are inscrutable in many ways. I was a student of the first batch of Diploma in English for Communication of the Institute of English, Thiruvananthapuram, where Dr Paniker was the head of the department handling written English and Dr Elias Valentine guiding phonetic English, among others. The course was over, but the examination dates were not fixed by the university. By the time, I chose apprenticeship in an English daily in Hyderabad. I had told the teachers about my difficulty in appearing for the examination as getting leave during apprenticeship in a newspaper was unthinkable. I had given a go-by to the course mentally.

A few days later I got a letter from Dr Paniker saying that he was visiting the ASRC, Hyderabad. “Perhaps we may meet”, he wrote. I knew the meaning. I went there to meet him. While conversing he asked for the address of the Editor. I went back. A few days later, I was summoned by the Editor saying he got a letter from Dr Paniker requesting them to allow me to appear for the examination. I was given leave instantly.

Think of the affable, considerate ways of a great personality. He had not mentioned about his intention to make a request to the newspaper authorities. Milk of human kindness was flowing from his heart and innate being.

Awards, accolades, encomiums have all surrounded him. But he was never arrogant about the recognition.

Initiating his studies at Kavalam, continuing it at Malabar Christian College, Kozhikode, University College, Thiruvananthapuram, Central Institute of English, Hyderabad, becoming a teacher at CMS College, Kottayam, MG College, Thiruvananthapuram, he had ended up his academic career as the head of the department of the Institute of English, University of Kerala. He had humbly turned down an offer of becoming the Vice-Chancellor of Kerala University.

He had taken his MA and PhD from the Indiana University, and had done further research at Harvard and Yale Universities.

Persons with depth of knowledge are vanishing. May his soul rest in peace.