Balagokulam founder M.A. Krishnan passes away

KOCHI: M.A. Krishnan (97), founder of Balagokulam and Tapasya Kalasahitya Vedi and a senior RSS pracharak, passed away at Amrita Hospital on Tuesday. His body was kept for public homage at Madhava Nivas in Elamakkara yesterday evening. It will be taken to his home at Vallithundil in Puthanambalam, Ayvarkala, Kollam, at 10 am today. The funeral will be held at his home this evening.

Krishnan was also behind the formation of Amritabharati, Balasamskarakendram, Balasahithee Prakashan, International Sri Krishna Centre and Saurakshika, an organisation working for the protection of children's rights. He served for many years as the RSS Kerala Prant Bauddhik Pramukh, Prachar Pramukh and editor of Kesari.

He was the son of Lakshmiyamma of Ayvarkala, Kollam, and Mangalathu Padmanabhan. Krishnan became the editor of Kesari in 1964. In 2008, he received the Vivekananda Seva Samman from the Badabazar Library in Kolkata. He had also received several other honours, including the Veerasree Veluthampi Memorial Seva Samman.

He was instrumental in conceptualising several cultural initiatives, including the Janmashtami Shobhayatras that later became a major children's festival in Kerala, Balagokulam's Jnanayajnas, the Tapasya-led cultural pilgrimage from Kanyakumari to Gokarna under the leadership of poet Akkitham, and Balamahasammelanams.