M.P. Parameswaran: The scientist who carried science to Kerala's streets
The passing of M.P. Parameswaran has drawn tributes from across Kerala's political, scientific and cultural spectrum. Colleagues, friends and public figures remember him as a rare intellectual who demystified science, championed rational thought and inspired generations through his writings and activism.
A nuclear scientist by profession, Parameswaran evolved into one of Kerala's most influential public intellectuals. Through the Kerala Sastra Sahithya Parishad (KSSP), he played a pivotal role in transforming the popular science movement into a mass campaign that took scientific temper and rational thinking beyond classrooms and laboratories to ordinary people.
Minister for Youth Affairs and Sports O.J. Janeesh described him as the scientist who made science accessible to the common man. "He played a defining role in nurturing scientific temper among the people and popularising science education. He always communicated with society in the simplest of language. Along with scientific thinking, he carried a deep commitment to society throughout his life. His contributions will be remembered for generations," the Minister said.
Social commentator, writer and activist K. Venu recalled a friendship rooted in a shared passion for science despite ideological differences. "Our common ground was our fascination for science. That is how we became close and understood each other well. We shared a warm relationship, though our political positions were different," he said.
Communist Party of India (CPI) national secretariat member K. Prakash Babu said Parameswaran had succeeded in taking scientific temper and rationality to the masses in a way few others could. "There is reason to doubt whether Malayali society has fully understood the magnitude of his contributions. His lectures, writings and public interventions strengthened the Left's vision of people-centric development. He consistently urged society to approach every issue with scientific reasoning," he said. He added that Parameswaran's role in laying the foundation of the KSSP as a people's science movement would remain one of his most enduring legacies.
Congress leader and DCC president Joseph Tajet remembered Parameswaran as a thinker who sought to reconcile the ideas of Mahatma Gandhi and Karl Marx through his concept of the "Fourth World." "He viewed Marxism in its true spirit. Though he left his career as a nuclear scientist to work with the Communist movement, his 'Fourth World' thesis was rejected by the party, eventually leading to his exit. His demise leaves an irreplaceable void in Kerala's intellectual and cultural landscape," Tajet said.
Friends and colleagues also recalled the lesser-known facets of Parameswaran's life. Besides being a scientist, theoretician, author, literacy activist and science communicator, he even appeared on screen, portraying E.M.S. Namboodiripad in the 2007 docufiction AKG: Athijeevanathinte Kanal Vazhikal, which traced the evolution of the Communist movement in Kerala.
Those who knew him said his ability to combine rigorous scientific inquiry with social commitment made him a unique public figure. Whether through books, lectures, literacy campaigns or the people's science movement, Parameswaran remained committed to making knowledge accessible and relevant to ordinary citizens. For many, he will be remembered not merely as a nuclear scientist or Marxist theoretician, but as the man who transformed science into a language the people could understand and embrace.
