Ponkunnam Varkey

Ponkunnam Varkey is a prominent figure in Malayalam progressive writing. He is a freedom fighter, and also a revolutionary personality. The Catholic Church excommunicated Ponkunnam Varkey because he identified his enemy as social injustice perpetrated by the feudal class and the clergy. Quite frequently Ponkunnam Varkey dwelt upon blasphemy, and religion`s blind fanatical approach defying all norms of human decency, as themes. He claimed that the hypocrisy and barbarity in priests` personal lives came out of his direct knowledge. Ponkunnam Varkey laid them bare before the Malayalam theatre audience. Fifteen plays, many short stories, and a few prose poems by Ponkunnam Varkey - all centre on the uncompromising social objective of human liberation and equality.

For Ponkunnam Varkey, idea is everything. He does not care for formal experimentation. The language is terse but poignant. Still, Ponkunnam Varkey scaled poetic heights and moulded heroic characters. His sharp eye was vigilant in the few descriptive portraits of personalities that he made. But Ponkunnam Varkey fought single-handedly with a determined and uncompromising will against mighty social establishments and all-powerful authorities. The tense plays abound in conflicts and emit fire. Important among them are Bhartbavu i.e. `Husband` in 1944, Jetakkal i.e. `Conquerers` in 1946, Prema viplavam i.e. `Revolution in Love` in 1946, Puja in 1950, Nan oru adhikapattanu i.e. `I Am Redundant` in 1955, Vazhitiimnnu and many more.