TRIBUTE PAID TO EKALAVYAN, NOVELIST

TRIBUTE PAID TO EKALAVYAN, NOVELIST

Writer and novelist Kollanoor house KM Mathew, 78, passed away on Sunday6th May,2012. He was known as Ekalavyan in the literary world. Many of his stories inspired films later.He was under treatment for kidney-related ailments at Amala medical college. he joined the Indian army when he was 18 years old. He was in the army for 32 years and during his service he began writing under the name of Ekalavyan.His first story is Randu Lokavum Oru Jeevithavum, which was published in Mathrubhumi weekly in 1968. Kallu is the first novel. He also wrote 33 novels, three story collections and also travelogues. Leelamani from Pengamukku is his wife and children Salil Mathew and Dr Sunil Mathew. Like Kovilan and Nandanar, Ekalavyan was famous for his ‘Pattala kadhakal' (tales from the barracks).Born on August 14, 1934, at Kunnamkulam, Ekalavyan joined the Army in 1953. As military personnel cannot write in their own name, he took the pen name Ekalavyan.He started writing in 1960. In his five-decade-old literary career, Ekalavyan wrote 33 novels, three collections of short stories, and a travelogue.His popular works are ‘Trench' and ‘Kayam.' ‘Mruga Thrishna,' published in 2009, was his last novel.

                                  Prof. John Kurakar