Linguist Venugopala Panikkar passes away

T.B. Venugopala Panikkar, renowned linguist and writer, passed away at 80; known for academic achievements and literary contributions.

T.B. Venugopala Panikkar, 80, well-known linguist, writer, and a retired head of the Department of Malayalam at the University of Calicut, passed away at his residence at Feroke in Kozhikode on Wednesday.

He was a native of Ezhikkara near North Paravur in Ernakulam district. After earning an undergraduate degree in Physics and a postgraduate degree in Malayalam from Maharaja’s College, Ernakulam, he passed M.A. (Linguistics) with a first rank from Annamalai University.

Mr. Panikkar began his academic career at the University of Madras as a research assistant in 1971. He became a teacher at the Malayalam department at the University of Calicut in 1973. He completed his doctorate thesis A critical study of Pitika of Keralapanineeyam, under Sukumar Azhikode, in 1981. Mr. Panikkar was the head of the department of Malayalam between 2003 and 2005. He retired in 2006. Mr. Panikkar also worked as a Dean of Faculty of Language and Literature at Kannur University. He presented over 100 papers at national and international academic conferences.

Mr. Panikkar was a recipient of the Sahitya Akademi award for the Malayalam translation of Thoppil Mohammed Meeran’s Tamil novel Koonanthoppu in 2005. The Kerala Sahitya Akademi honoured him with an award for life-time achievement in 2015. Mr. Panikkar had interviewed Noam Chomsky for Kairali channel during his visit to India. His books include Swanamandalam, Noam Chomsky, Bhashartham and Bhashalokam. Mr. Panikkar is survived by his wife, son, and daughter. The final rites will be held at the Mavoor Road crematorium in Kozhikode on Thursday.