https://indianpedia.org/index.php?action=history&feed=atom&title=D._C._KizhakemuriD. C. Kizhakemuri - Revision history2026-08-01T01:10:24ZRevision history for this page on the wikiMediaWiki 1.45.4https://indianpedia.org/index.php?title=D._C._Kizhakemuri&diff=327214&oldid=prevUpdateBot at 04:09, 21 June 20222022-06-21T04:09:28Z<p></p>
<p><b>New page</b></p><div>{{BLP sources|date=January 2019}}<br />
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{{Infobox person<br />
| name = D. C. Kizhakemuri<br />
| birth_name = Dominic Chacko Kizhakemuri<br />
| birth_date = {{Birth date|1914|01|12|df=yes}}<br />
| birth_place = [[Kanjirappally]], [[Travancore|Kingdom of Travancore]], [[British India]]<br>(present day [[Kottayam district|Kottayam]], [[Kerala]], India)<br />
| nationality = [[Indian people|Indian]]<br />
| death_date = {{Death date and age|df=yes|1999|01|26|1914|01|12}}<br />
| occupation = {{hlist|Writer|Activist|Book publisher}}<br />
| parents = {{Unbulleted_list|Chacko|Mumnayat Eliyamma}}<br />
}}<br />
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'''Dominic Chacko Kizhakemuri''' (born 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]].<br />
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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.<br />
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== Early life ==<br />
Dominic Chacko Kizhakemuri was born to Chacko and Mumnayat Eliyamma on 12 January 1914 at [[Kanjirappally]] in the erstwhile [[Travancore|Kingdom of Travancore]].<br />
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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.<br />
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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.<br />
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==DC Books==<br />
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.<br />
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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.<br />
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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.<br />
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==References==<br />
{{Reflist}}<br />
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== External links ==<br />
*[https://web.archive.org/web/20120209083618/http://www.dckizhakemuri.com/kizhakemuri/biography.html Biography]<br />
*[http://www.dcprintingschool.com/php/showContent.php?linkid=41 About Institute of Printing and Imaging]<br />
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{{PadmaBhushanAwardRecipients 1990–99}}<br />
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Kizhakemuri, D. C.}}<br />
[[Category:Writers from Kerala]]<br />
[[Category:Recipients of the Padma Bhushan in literature & education]]<br />
[[Category:1914 births]]<br />
[[Category:People from Kottayam district]]<br />
[[Category:1999 deaths]]<br />
[[Category:Indian book publishers (people)]]<br />
[[Category:Indian independence activists from Kerala]]<br />
[[Category:Businesspeople from Kerala]]<br />
[[Category:20th-century Indian businesspeople]]<br />
[[Category:20th-century Indian essayists]]<br />
[[Category:20th-century Indian philanthropists]]<br />
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