Postage stamp on P.N Panicker

India post issued a commemorative postage stamp on the death anniversary of P.N. Panicker, dated 19th June 2004-is known as the Father of the Library Movement in the Indian state of Kerala.

Born in 1st March, 1909 in Kuttanad, in the erstwhile Travancore state, the young Panicker showed a keen interest in reading newspapers and books. Not only did he read them himself, he also read the daily news to groups of illiterate prople of all ages.A teacher by profession, he started Sanadanadharmam Library in his birthplace in 1926. Though his formal education had not reached high levels, he could do to society much more than many who were highly educated in his times.The Grandhasala sangam which began humbly with 47 libraries in 1945, grew into a network of more than 6,000 libraries spreading over the towns and villages of Kerala. To give this activity a developmental format, he organized the Kerala Association for Non Formal Education and Development (KANFED). Together, these two Associations turned an activity into a movement which had a profound impact on the education, culture and development of Kerala.

Disturbed by the fissiparous tendencies that he saw growing in the country, Panicker also worked to foster social amity and harmony. For this he devoted his last years to the Friendship Village Movement (Sauhrudagramam). He continued travelling and working vigorously, sustained by his simple Gandhian life style and an indomitable will till he passed on 19th June 1995. The Government of Kerala observes 19th June annually as Vayanadinal (Day of Reading) with a week-long series of activities at schools and public institutions to honour the contribution of P.N. Panicker to the cause of literacy and educatiion. The National Literacy Mission has been inspired largely by the work of this frail man who converted a simple slogan of “Read and Grow” into a powerful movement.

The present library network of Kerala and its organizational efforts were initiated by P.N Panicker during 1945. The Diwan of Travancore, Sir C.P Ramaswami Iyer, inaugurated the library conference held at P.K memorial library in Ambalapuzha on 16 September 1945. Although he was an administrator with sound views on the development needs of the State, he had taken severe steps for suppressing the people’s movements. So he was very unpopular among the radicals of the State. Thus there was difference of opinion about inviting him for the inauguration of the library conference. But the dominant group under the leadership of P.N Panicker succeeded in their attempts to ensure the Diwan’s participation in the library conference, in which 47 libraries in Travancore participated. This meeting and the formation of Travancore Grandhasala Sangham was the first step towards a democratic institution as the apex body of the libraries.

With the formation of Kerala State in 1956, Travancore – Cochin Grandhasala Sangham was renamed as the Kerala Grandhasala Sangham and its activities spread to the Malabar region also. Tanoor Sanchara Grandha Sala in Malppuram was the first Library, which joined the Kerala Grandha Sala Sangham. This was in 1957. At that time there were around 500 libraries in Malabar apart from those libraries under Local Library Authorities. Through the committed and hard work of Panicker who was the democratically elected Secretary of the Sangam for the consecutive 33 years, the Sangam grew into an apex body of 5000 odd libraries. During 1972 when Sangam celebrated its Silver jubilee , a Samskarika Padayatra highlighting the slogan “ Vayichu Valaruka” under the leadership of Panicker was performed from Kasargode to Kanyakumari. This was an epoch making event in the cultural history of Kerala since it was a noble attempt to organize a Jatha highlighting a theme for a social cause. Till then Jathas were conducted only for claiming the rights and other benefits. The Vayichu Valaruka Samskarika jatha was received at the street by the then Chief Minister Shri C Achuthamenon.

Shri. Panicker did not rest on the oars of the first phase of his success. He wanted to develop these libraries and reading rooms centres of socio-cultural activities and developmental programmes. The Kerala Association of Non-formal Education and Development (KANFED) was the result of his second phase of work. The Govt. of India entrusted the work of the State Resource Centre to the newly formed KANFED with the result Shri. Panicker could expand his activities to the national level also. It was during this period that he proposed to the State and Central Govts. his idea of total approach to the liquidation of illiteracy in the country. With the help of the Govt. of Kerala the Aksharakeralam project was conceived and implemented successfully the task of making the State of Kerala the first totally literate State of India. Inspired by this Kerala model the Govt. of India and the National Literacy Mission (NLM) adopted the total approach which is now known as Total Literacy Campaign (TLC). This is indeed a memorable contribution of Shri. Panicker to the cause of literacy at the national level.

The Krupskaya award instituted by UNESCO in memory of the wife of great Lenin of Soviet Union, who spearheaded the literacy movement successfully in the newly established communist State was given to Kerala Grandhasala Sangham in recognition for the work done by P.N. Panicker and his team in the field of adult literacy.

A grateful nation paid homage to his memory by issuing a commemorative postage stamp to perpetuate his memory. His annual remembrance day is observed state wide by the Govt. of Kerala as Reading Day with week-long activities in schools and public institutions. The whole week is devoted to inculcate in the minds of growing children the habit of reading and acquiring new knowledge.