Civic Chandran (born 5 April 1951) is an Indian playwright, poet, editor, former

Naxalite Naxalism is the communist ideology of the Naxalites or Naxals, a grouping of political and insurgent groups from India. It is influenced by Maoist political sentiment and ideology. Inspired by Maoism, Charu Majumdar wrote the Historic Eight ...

, social activist and political commentator from

Kerala Kerala ( , ) is a States and union territories of India, state on the Malabar Coast of India. It was formed on 1 November 1956, following the passage of the States Reorganisation Act, by combining Malayalam-speaking regions of the erstwhile ...

. He is the editor of ''Patabhedam'' magazine. He was instrumental in popularising

street theatre Street theatre is a form of theatrical performance and presentation in outdoor public spaces without a specific paying audience. These spaces can be anywhere, including shopping centres, car parks, recreational reserves, college or universi ...

in Kerala and is a strong critic of Kerala's mainstream left.

Life

He was born on 5 April 1951 in Murikungal village near

Kodakara Kodakara is a town in the Thrissur district of Kerala state in South India. It is located next to the national highway ( NH 544), south of Thrissur town, 3 km to the south of Puthukkad town and about north of Chalakudy. Administratively, Koda ...

in Trichur district. He was the eldest of four children born to Velappan and Lakshmi. His birth name was C. V. Kuttan. From 1968 to 1981, he worked as a teacher in

Wayanad Wayanad () is a district in the north-east of the Indian state of Kerala, with its administrative headquarters at the municipality of Kalpetta. It is the only plateau in Kerala. The Wayanad Plateau forms a continuation of the Mysore Plateau, ...

and

Eranad Eranad () also known as Ernad refers to the erstwhile province in the midland area of Malabar, consisting of Malappuram and nearby regions such as Anakkayam, Manjeri, Kondotty, Nilambur, etc. Currently Eranad Taluk is a Taluk in Malappuram dis ...

. In 1981, he was suspended from the job on charges of

links. Following the acquittal by the High Court, he returned to teaching in 1991. Now retired, he lives in West Hill,

Calicut Kozhikode (), also known as Calicut, is a city along the Malabar Coast in the state of Kerala in India. Known as the City of Spices, Kozhikode is listed among the City of Literature, UNESCO's Cities of Literature. It is the nineteenth large ...

. He was married to P. Sridevi, who died some years before. There were two daughters from the marriage. In July 2022, a complaint was lodged against Civic Chandran for sexually assaulting a woman activist.

Career

Civic was a member of the editorial board of ''Yanan'' magazine. This magazine was later confiscated by the government. He was imprisoned during the Emergency. He edited an anthology of poems titled ''Thadavara Kavithakal'' (Poems from Prison). He notes that political prisoners like him started to write poems in prison as part of survival and resistance. Civic was the secretary of ''Janakiya Samskarika Vedi'' and editor of its mouthpiece ''Prerana''. Civic was instrumental in popularising

in Kerala. The magazines ''Vakku'' and ''Patabhedam'' were published under his leadership. In 1995, he staged the play ''Ningal Aare Communist Akki'' (Who did you make a communist), a counter drama based on

Thoppil Bhasi Thoppil Bhaskara Pillai, known as Thoppil Bhasi (8 April 1924 – 8 December 1992) was an Indian Malayalam-language playwright, screenwriter, and film director. He was associated with the communist movement in Kerala and his play ''Ningalenne C ...

's '' Ningal Enne Communist Akki'' (You made me a communist). The play sparked off a storm by taking an unsparing look at mainstream communism, calling it anti-Dalit and patriarchal. The play also led to the '' Civic Chandran v. Ammini Amma'' case, a landmark case in Indian copyright law. Civic is a regular columnist in magazines and newspapers and writes about cultural issues. Civic is a distinct voice in Kerala's cultural arena, often clashing with and opposing the traditional left. He handled columns in ''

Madhyamam ''Madhyamam'' (meaning ''Medium'') is a Malayalam-language newspaper published in Kerala, India, since 1987.India Today ''India Today'' is a weekly Indian English-language news magazine published by Living Media, Living Media India Limited. It is the most widely circulated magazine in India, with a readership of close to 8 million. In 2014, ''India Today'' laun ...

''. He is now the editor of ''Pathabhedam'' magazine.

Works

; Poetry * ''Thadavara Kavithakal'' (ed.) * ''Velichathekurichoru Gitam'' * ''Griha Pravesam'' * ''Valathuvasam Chernnu Nadakkuka'' (2017) ; Plays * ''Kurisu Yuddham Thudangunnavar'' * ''Thamrapathrangal'' (''Akshouhini'') * ''Ningal Aare Communist Akki'' * ''Ezhupathukalil Sambhavichath'' * ''Agnaye Idam Na Mama'' * ''Ningal Enthinanu Ente Kuttiye Perumazhayathu Nirthiyirikunath'' (2012) ; Essays * ''Antennayil Kattu Pidikkumpol'' * ''Karinkanna Nokkanda'' (2001) * ''Gamayude Paitrukam'' ; Memoirs * ''Ezhupathukal Vilichappol'' (2009)

References

{{Reflist

External links

"Interview With Civic Chandran"
at RCW Asia ; Articles * Civic Chandran (14 May 2017)
"In the wake of the Spring Thunder"
''

The Indian Express ''The Indian Express'' is an English-language Indian daily newspaper founded in 1932 by P. Varadarajulu Naidu. It is headquartered in Noida, owned by the ''Indian Express Group''. It was later taken over by Ramnath Goenka. In 1999, eight y ...

'' * Civic Chandran (5 March 2018)
"Give Land, Life and Self-Rule For Adivasis Before Another Madhu is Lynched"
Countercurrents.org * Civic Chandran (13 November 2020)
"അങ്ങനെയാണ് ആക്ടിവിസത്തിലേക്ക് പൊട്ടിച്ചിരി കടന്നുവന്നത്..."
Truecopythink.media (in Malayalam) Malayalam-language dramatists and playwrights Malayalam poets Malayalam-language journalists Dramatists and playwrights from Kerala Indian columnists Indian magazine editors 1951 births Writers from Thrissur district Living people Indian human rights activists Activists from Kerala