D. C. Kizhakemuri

{{Short description|Indian writer}} {{more citations needed|date=January 2019}} {{Use Indian English|date=July 2016}} {{Use dmy dates|date=July 2016}} {{Infobox person | name = D. C. Kizhakemuri | birth_name = Dominic Chacko Kizhakemuri | birth_date = {{Birth date|1914|01|12|df=yes}} | birth_place = [[Kanjirappally]], [[Travancore|Kingdom of Travancore]], [[British India]]<br>(present day [[Kottayam district|Kottayam]], [[Kerala]], India) | death_date = {{Death date and age|df=yes|1999|01|26|1914|01|12}} | occupation = {{hlist|Writer|Activist|Book publisher}} | parents = {{Unbulleted_list|Chacko|Mumnayat Eliyamma}} }}

'''Dominic Chacko Kizhakemuri''' (12 January 1914 – 26 January 1999) was an Indian writer, activist, freedom-fighter and book publisher from [[Kerala]]. He founded the book publishing company known as [[DC Books]].

He played a pivotal role in abolishing sales tax on books in the erstwhile state of [[Travancore]]. This move influenced the then [[Prime Minister of India|Prime Minister]] [[Jawaharlal Nehru]] to abolish sales tax on books across [[India]]. He was awarded [[Padma Bhushan]] in 1999.<ref name="Padma Awards">{{cite web|url=http://mha.nic.in/sites/upload_files/mha/files/LST-PDAWD-2013.pdf |title=Padma Awards |publisher=Ministry of Home Affairs, Government of India |date=2015 |access-date=21 July 2015 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151015193758/http://mha.nic.in/sites/upload_files/mha/files/LST-PDAWD-2013.pdf |archive-date=15 October 2015 |df=dmy }}</ref> He was instrumental in promoting [[Malayalam]], a South Indian language, through his writings as an author, and was a columnist for various publications and through his printing and publishing company, DC Books and retail concern Current Books.

== Early life == Dominic Chacko Kizhakemuri was born to Chacko and Mumnayat Eliyamma on 12 January 1914 at [[Kanjirappally]] in the erstwhile [[Travancore|Kingdom of Travancore]].

He started his career as a teacher at the age 16 in Kanjirappally. He was then known as 'Kochusaar' meaning 'Little Teacher'. Later he passed TTC from [[Changanassery]] and served as a teacher for 12 more years.

At that time, he was attracted towards the [[Indian independence movement|Indian freedom struggle]] and became a part of the [[Indian National Congress]]. By 1937, he became an active member of the INC and conducted many freedom fight meetings with K. J. Thomas. In 2001, [[DC Kizhakemuri Foundation]] (DCKF) was formed as a tribute to him.

==DC Books== DC Books<ref>[http://dcbooks.com dcbooks.com]</ref> is a [[publisher]] and bookseller with headquarters in [[Kottayam]], [[Kerala]], [[India]]. It publishes over 6,500 titles, mainly literature in [[Malayalam]], but also including children's literature, poetry, reference, biography, self-help, yoga, management titles, and foreign translations. It distributes 70% of books across Kerala.

D. C. Kizhakemuri's destiny was however, inextricably linked with books. He along with his friends [[Ponkunnam Varkey]], [[P. T. Chacko]] and K. J. Thomas opened a bookstore called National Book Stall in Kottayam. Soon after that, D. C. Kizhakemuri started [[Sahithya Pravarthaka Co-operative Society]] (SPCS) along with [[M. P. Paul]] and [[Karoor Neelakanta Pillai]]. The society was the first of its kind in [[Asia]]. SPCS published the best of works in Malayalam and worked for the welfare of the writers.

In 1949, NBS and SPCS joined forces. Under the dynamic stewardship of D. C. Kizhakemuri, this merger heralded a new age in Malayalam publishing and production which was, till then in a very dismal state. The NBS network covered all the districts of Kerala and SPCS emerged as the biggest publisher.

==References== {{Reflist}}

== External links == *[https://web.archive.org/web/20120209083618/http://www.dckizhakemuri.com/kizhakemuri/biography.html Biography] *[http://www.dcprintingschool.com/php/showContent.php?linkid=41 About Institute of Printing and Imaging] *[https://dckf.in/about/ DC Kizhakemuri Fundation]

{{DEFAULTSORT:Kizhakemuri, D. C.}} [[Category:Writers from Kerala]] [[Category:Recipients of the Padma Bhushan in literature & education]] [[Category:1914 births]] [[Category:Writers from Kottayam district]] [[Category:1999 deaths]] [[Category:Indian book publishers (people)]] [[Category:Indian independence activists from Kerala]] [[Category:Businesspeople from Kerala]] [[Category:20th-century Indian businesspeople]] [[Category:20th-century Indian essayists]] [[Category:20th-century Indian philanthropists]]