M Sukumaran, renowned Malayalam author passes away

M Sukumaran (76), the well-known Malayalam writer, has passed away in Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala on March 16, 2018. The writer, whose works focused on the sufferings of the dispossessed, won the prestigious Kerala Sahitya Akademi award for his book ‘Marichittillathavarude Smarakangal’ in 1976. He later went on to win the award again in 1997 for Janathikam. In 2006, the writer won the Kendra (Central) Sahitya Akademi award for his short story collection ‘Chuvanna Chihnangal’. Another one of his seminal works is ‘Seshakriya’, which made into a film, and he won the State Government Film Award for Best Story in 1981. Two of his works ‘Sangha Ganam’ and ‘Unarthupattu’ were also made into feature films.