Sociologist T K Oommen passes away

NEW DELHI: Renowned sociologist, writer, and former JNU professor T K Oommen passed away in Gurugram, Haryana, at the age of 88. He was a member of the Keerikkattu family of Venmani in Alappuzha. He had been living at his residence near the National Media Centre in Gurugram, on the Delhi border. He was awarded the Padma Bhushan in 2008.

He is survived by his wife Josephine. His children are Johny Oommen (Oman) and Koshi Oommen (Bahrain). Daughters-in-law: Rani and Mary. The funeral will be held on Monday at 3.30 pm at St. Joseph’s Cemetery, Tughlakabad, Delhi.

Oommen made significant contributions as the chairman of the advisory committee of the Gujarat Harmony Project, which aimed to rebuild Hindu-Muslim harmony in Gujarat after the 2002 riots. He was also a member of the Sachar Committee, which was appointed to study the social, economic, and educational status of Muslim communities.

He completed his BA in Economics from the University of Kerala in 1957 and his MA in Sociology from the University of Pune in 1960, followed by a PhD in 1965. He later worked as a teacher at the Delhi School of Social Work, University of Delhi, and then joined Jawaharlal Nehru University as a faculty member. In 2007, he was awarded the title of Professor Emeritus at Jawaharlal Nehru University.

He served as a UGC National Sociology Lecturer and worked as a visiting professor in the Department of Sociology at the University of California. He also taught at several foreign universities, including Berkeley in the USA. He was the 12th President of the International Sociological Association.