Malayalam Foundation Awards 2011 Declared

Malayalam Foundation, a NGO based in Mumbai, has announced the awards for the year 2011.  Out of six awards, two are for overall contributions in multiple domains and remaining for the outstanding contributions in the respective fields.

Malayalam poet, activist and media personality Nanappan Manjapra has been selected for the award recognizing his overall contributions in the fields of poetry, dramatics and media. Noted Malayalam writer Girijavallabhan of Mumbai has been selected for the award recognizing his overall contributions in the fields of literature, social service and trade union.  Kattoor Murali has been chosen for the award in journalism, Mundoor Rajan of Pambungal Publications for Malayalam book publishing outside Kerala and Navakam Editor C.S.Panicker for media activism through small publication from Ayankalam in Malappuram District. Malayalam Foundation Award consists of cash and memento. The awardees were selected considering their past contributions by the Committee with N. Rajashekharahn Nair as Chairman, Dr. Thomas Mathew, Cheppad Somanathan and Malayalabhumi Sasidharan Nair as members.

Nanappan Manjapra has been actively involved in the Malayalam arts and culture scene in Mumbai for the last four decades as poet, lyricist, dramatist and media person. He was the sub editor of periodicals like Gramaratnam, Malayalabhumi, Akshaya Prapanjam and Marunadu Express. Presently he is the sub editor of Whiteline Vartha. He has penned the title song of “Amchi Mumbai” programme being telecast on Kairali TV every Sunday.

Apart from a noted Malayalam novelist and short story writer, Girijavallabhan has been an active social worker and trade unionist for last four decades. He has made sizeable contributions for the central Govt. Employees movement in Mumbai and other parts of Maharashtra. He was actively connected with the Confederation of Central Govt. Employees and Workers for a long time. He organized the civil accounts employees and officers’ throughout the country and founded first ever trade union for them. He has held national level posts in these organizations as Joint Secretary General, Additional Secretary General and President for more than three decades. He has authored an award winning novel and two short story collections in Malayalam. Girijavallabhan with proven ability as novelist, storywriter, columnist, social worker and trade unionist has been selected for the award for his overall contributions in the field of literature, social service and trade union.

The award for films has already been announced earlier. Aravindan Nelluvayi has bagged the award for his debut directorial venture of “Innalaye Thedi”, Malayalam film.  Aravindan has several years of experience in cine-field in different roles. He was associated with veteran writer and director Lohithadas as production executive.

The achievements of Kattoor Murali, the winner of award for journalism, are unique as he is the only Malayalam journalist who was born and brought up outside Kerala and became a successful journalist in Mumbai. He is well versed with each and every nook and corner of Mumbai. His interviews of Haji Mastan and Mumbai Ravi were foremost in Malayalam and big hits in the media in those days.

Mundoor Rajan is a one-man army in the Malayalam publishing industry of Mumbai. He is the only successful Malayalam publisher outside Kerala, who has been in the field of books for last 17 years. His Pambungal Publications has published 82 books. They had been well accepted by the readers and some of the books have won awards.

Navakam is small scale Malayalam magazine published from Ayankalam in Malappuram District.  C.S.Panicker is a different type of publisher and editor. In spite of all odds and hurdles, he has been publishing this magazine for last 22 years and budding writers and poets as well as the established writers and poets are lined up in Navakam pages with equal importance. It is a remarkable fact that he never skipped a single issue of Navakam.

“It’s Malayalam Foundation’s earnest intention to appreciate and recognise hitherto unrecognised Malayali people from different fields in a humble and noble way,” told Sasidharan Nair, Director of Malayalam Foundation.

N. Rajasekharan Nair, Chairman of the Award Committee stated that the Malayalam Foundation has selected the awardees who have made remarkable achievements in their fields with dedicated work. These awards will be conferred on the winners in a grand public function scheduled to be held on 19^th August at Sahitya Akademy Hall, Thrissur in the presence of eminent scholars, writers, poets, journalists and luminaries from film, television and theatre fields.