T H P Chentharassery passes away at 89

T’puram:

Historian

T Heeraprasad, popularly known by his pen name

T H P Chentharassery

, passed away. He was 89. He was the first person to write a

biography

on social reformer

Ayyankali

.

Chentharassery has been undergoing treatment over age-related aliments at a private hospital in the city. Hailing from Thiruvalla, Chentharassery became a resident of the city after he got job at AG’s office.

Chentharassery began his research on history of the downtrodden in 1955. His first book was ‘Ilavamkulavum Kerala Charitravum’. He also wrote biographies of Ambedkar, Poykayil Appachan, Pambadi John Joseph and Swami Ananda Theerthan.

The work ‘Kerala Navodhana Nayakanmar’, published in 2014, focused on the lives of social reformers who brought changes in the lives of dalits such as Vellikkara Choti, Thycaud Ayyavu Swami, T T Kesavan Sastri, K V Patros etc.

Chentharassery’s research papers in English carried his real name T Heeraprasad. Some of those are ‘Ayyankali - the first dalit leader’, ‘History of indigenous population in India’ and ‘Ambedkar and Indian history’. He won the Kerala Sahitya Akademi Award in 2012 for his contribution to culture and history of the state.

Cremation will be held at Santhi Kavadam, Thycaud, at 11am on Saturday. His wife passed away in 2007. He leaves behind five children.