Noted author KN Panniker passes away
KN Panikkar, a doyen of Indian history whose rigorous scholarship illuminated the complexities of the colonial past and shaped decades of public debate on secularism, died on 9 March 2026 in Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala, at the age of 89.
10 Mar 2026 | 576 Views | By Dibyajyoti Sarma
As an influential academic, primarily at Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU), he mentored a generation of scholars, consistently advocating for a view of history not as a mere record of the past but as a "terrain where struggles over memory, power, and interpretation unfold." His work, including Intellectuals and Social Consciousness in Colonial India, was marked by intellectual rigour and a principled voice. He had also been the vice-chancellor of Sree Sankaracharya University of Sanskrit.
Beyond the classroom, Panikkar was a noted cultural activist and public intellectual, serving most recently as chairman of the Kerala State Higher Education Council.
Born in 1936 in Guruvayur, Panikkar completed his schooling at Chavakkad Board High School. He pursued higher education at Government Victoria College. Later, he served as a visiting professor at several foreign universities.
He died due to age-related ailments.