Puthenveetil Radhakrishnan

Puthenveetil Radhakrishnan [1949-] is an eminent Indian sociologist, social critic, social historian, and media person.

Radhakrishnan had his early education in village schools. There was nothing remarkable in this, except grinding poverty, lack of access to school books, and even in the minimal light required for available books.

In those days [he completed his secondary schooling in 1967] when literacy was low, and access to education was even more so, passing out of the secondary school [then only the Tenth Standard] was a great achievement. In a state hardly a dozen or so students would have come first [first class]. Some of them, of their parents could afford went for higher education, which started with a two-year Pre-University or PUC course. After this only the tertiary or degree education started.

In Radhakrishnan's case, who was the seventh child in a joint family where three sisters and their children lived, there was no opportunity for higher studies. The eldest child in the family passed the Tenth Standard with a first class. But even he had no opportunity to go for PUC.

An SSLC certificate was a passport to seek employment, mostly clerical, in other states. Those whose parents could manage sent their wards for learning typewriting and shorthand, passing the qualifying the exams of which made getting a typist's or stenographer's job elsewhere somewhat less difficult.

He is the author of Religion, Caste, and State. Jaipur: Rawat Publications, 2007. ISBN 9788131600634 and Peasant struggles, land reforms, and social change : Malabar, 1836-1982 ew Delhi ; Newbury Park, Calif. : Sage Publications, 1989 ISBN 9780803995932.