A. M. A. Ayrookuzhiel: 30th Death Anniversary Bulletins

The “Bulletins” page documents the planning, progress, and activities related to the 30th death anniversary commemoration of A. M. A. Ayrookuzhiel, covering the period from April to November 2026.

Bulletin 1

🗓️ Date: Wednesday, 15 April 2026

On Monday, 6 April 2026, between 8–9 am IST, a call took place between Sunil Abraham and Tito Dutta. During the call, Sunil shared his vision and ideas for the 30th death anniversary commemoration.

Following discussions with his brothers and other family members, Sunil outlined three objectives for the upcoming commemoration:

Essays not in Collected Works: A significant number of A. M. A. Ayrookuzhiel’s writings have been published in the collected volume Essays on Dalits, Religion and Liberation (2006). However, additional essays, papers, and lectures remain outside this collection. Work has already begun on identifying and documenting some of these on The Sunil Abraham Project. In the coming months, efforts will continue to locate further materials that are either unpublished or not included in the collected works. These may be compiled, documented, and, depending on progress, published as an ebook with an ISBN. A limited number of printed copies may also be considered.
Unpublished manuscript: At the time of his death in 1996, A. M. A. Ayrookuzhiel was working on a manuscript titled Dalit and Hindu Religious Identity, intended to examine the relationship between caste identity and faith traditions in India. Sunil expressed the intention to work towards completing this unfinished manuscript. This will require careful study, collection of materials, and preparatory work over the coming months. It has been suggested that the formal announcement of this effort may be made on Sunday, 29 November 2026, following sufficient groundwork.
Storytelling for everyone: Sunil proposed developing accessible storytelling formats, including slide decks, presentations, and other mediums, to communicate the core ideas of A. M. A. Ayrookuzhiel’s academic and literary work. The aim is to present these ideas in a way that is understandable and engaging for a wider audience, including those who may not be familiar with South Indian society, caste structures, or Dalit movements. Care will be taken to handle these themes with clarity and sensitivity while ensuring accessibility.

🧑‍🤝‍🧑 Event in Bengaluru: An in-person event will take place in Bengaluru, Karnataka on Sunday, 29 November 2026. The exact venue and schedule will be decided later. Planned activities may include a commemoration programme, presentations on A. M. A. Ayrookuzhiel’s life and works, and an exhibition.

Please add this date to your calendar and let us know if you are interested in attending. Further details will be shared in due course.

This concludes the first bulletin in this series. The second bulletin will be published on Friday, 15 May 2026.

Bulletin 2

🗓️ Date: Friday, 15 May 2026

Over the last one month, much of the work related to the 30th death anniversary commemoration of A. M. A. Ayrookuzhiel focused on content creation, documentation, and expanding the archival material available on The Sunil Abraham Project.

Navigational Template: A navigational page, Template:A. M. A. Ayrookuzhiel, was created during this period. The template brings together pages related to A. M. A. Ayrookuzhiel, including family members, books, essays, papers, and related articles, and is generally placed at the bottom of associated pages to improve navigation across the archive.

The Role of Religion in Dalit Liberation: Some Reflections: Published during this period was The Role of Religion in Dalit Liberation: Some Reflections, an essay by A. M. A. Ayrookuzhiel originally published in 1994 in The Role of the Philosopher Today, edited by Anand Amaladass, S.J. Structured around ten theses, the essay examines the relationship between religion, caste, social power, and liberation in the Indian context. A complete text version was also published as Full Text: The Role of Religion in Dalit Liberation: Some Reflections.

Christian Dalits in Revolt: Christian Dalits in Revolt was also added to the archive. First published in Jeevadhara, Vol. XXIII No. 136, July 1993, the essay examines the structural and ideological conditions shaping the experiences of Dalits within Christian communities in India. A full text version is available at Full Text: Christian Dalits in Revolt.

The Religious Factor in Dalit Liberation: Some Reflections: Work during this period also included The Religious Factor in Dalit Liberation: Some Reflections, first published in 1996 in Culture Religion and Society: Essays in Honour of Richard W. Taylor. The essay examines how religion, caste, and social power shaped both the oppression and political awakening of Dalits in India. A full text version is available at Full Text: The Religious Factor in Dalit Liberation: Some Reflections.

A Proposal for the Study of the Religious Heritage of the Dalits: An article was also prepared for A Proposal for the Study of the Religious Heritage of the Dalits: Some Methodological Considerations, first published in Religion and Society, Vol. 42, No. 1, March 1995. The essay explores Dalit religious traditions, shrines, myths, and ritual practices, particularly in Kerala, and their historical relationship with Brahmanical Hinduism. A full text version is available at Full Text: A Proposal for the Study of the Religious Heritage of the Dalits: Some Methodological Considerations.

Indian Religious Heritage and Social Transformation: Indian Religious Heritage and Social Transformation: Change of Perspective within the CISRS was also documented during this period. First published in Religion and Society, Volume XL, Nos. 1 & 2, March–June 1993, the essay reflects on changing intellectual and theological approaches within the Christian Institute for the Study of Religion and Society (CISRS) towards Hindu traditions, Indian society, and social transformation. A full text version is available at Full Text: Indian Religious Heritage and Social Transformation: Change of Perspective within the CISRS.

Religious Legitimation and Delegitimations of Social Relations of Power (of Caste): Another essay documented during this period was Religious Legitimation and Delegitimations of Social Relations of Power (of Caste): The Case of the Dalits in Historical Perspective, first published in Religion and Society, Volume XL, No. 4, December 1993. The essay examines how caste oppression was historically sustained through religious legitimation, while also tracing counter-traditions that challenged this social order. A full text version is available at Full Text: Religious Legitimation and Delegitimations of Social Relations of Power (of Caste): The Case of the Dalits in Historical Perspective.

Chinnapulayan: A full text page was also created for Chinnapulayan: The Dalit Teacher of Sankaracharya, making the complete essay available online as part of the ongoing archival work related to the writings of A. M. A. Ayrookuzhiel.

Works Citing A. M. A. Ayrookuzhiel: One of the more ambitious archival efforts initiated during this period was Works Citing A. M. A. Ayrookuzhiel, a growing bibliographic collection of books, journal articles, theses, reports, and other publications that cite the works of A. M. A. Ayrookuzhiel. The references documented so far range from brief footnote and bibliography mentions to substantial academic engagement with his writings. Although the project is still at an early stage, five citations have already been identified and documented, with the expectation that the collection will continue to expand over time.

Bangla Article: Work also began during this period on দলিত মুক্তি আন্দোলনে ধর্মীয় প্রভাব: কিছু ভাবনা, a Bangla article based on The Religious Factor in Dalit Liberation: Some Reflections. The effort forms part of a broader attempt to make the writings and ideas of A. M. A. Ayrookuzhiel accessible to a wider readership beyond English-language audiences.