Dalit Bandhu N. K. Jose

N. K. Jose (2 February 1929 – 5 March 2024) was an Indian historian who was President of the Kerala History Congress known for his studies in Dalit and Christian history in Kerala. Author of over 140 history and social history books,

Biography N. K. Jose was born on 2 February 1929 in Vechoor, a village then in the Kingdom of Travancore, British India, now in Vaikom taluk, Kottayam district, Kerala, India to Kurien and Mariamma. He completed his primary education from Devi Vilasam School in Vechoor, NSS School in Ullala, Government Boys School in Cherthala and SB High School in Changanassery. In his memoirs, Jose writes about the Punnapra-Vayalar uprising that took place when he was a teenager. He was educated at Thevara Sacred Heart College and St. Albert's College Ernakulam. He earned his BA degree from the University of Madras. After completing his college education, he studied Gandhian thought and socialist studies at the Gandhi Ashram in Wardha.

On 24 September 1990, at a conference of Dalit organizations in Kottayam, Jose was honoured with the title of 'Dalit Bandhu' in honour of his contributions to Dalit studies. Thereafter he adopted it as his pen name. In the Padmanabhaswami temple property controversy, arguments on the Buddhist history of Kerala were put forward in a book written by him.

Jose openly said that the belief that Kerala Christians were converts from Brahmins was a figment of the imagination of church leaders. It was found that Brahmanism has only half the age of Christianity in Kerala. He also rejected the new idea that the origin of Christians was not from the Brahmins, but from the Jews of ancient Kerala. He said that the Dravidians, who came from that culture, installed the Shivalinga wherever they settled, and later the Brahmins took it over as an icon of worship.

Works Some books in the Dalit series Source:

Awards and honours Kerala Sahitya Akademi Award for Overall Contributions 2019

Legacy In 2023, Sree Sankaracharya University of Sanskrit Vice-Chancellor Prof. M.V. Narayanan announced that an archive will be started in the name of Dalit Bandhu N. K. Jose at the university's Kalady main campus. The archive, said to be prepared under the supervision of the history department of the university, will collect and preserve Dalit Bandhu's manuscripts, letters and rare books from his personal collection. He also announced that the university will organize annual lecture every year in the name of Dalit Bandhu N. K. Jose.