Thalassery: A school building at the birthplace of Malayalam's renowned satire writer Sanjayan has been named after him as a memorial to him. The building is the renovated pre-primary block at Thiruvangad Government Higher Secondary School in Kannur district, which is located close to the house where Sanjayan was born.

The naming was performed on Sanjayan’s birth anniversary by historian and researcher K K Marar. On the occasion, Marar said that Sanjayan’s criticism against the evils of society, laced with humour, was always on target. He recalled Sanjayan’s contributions as a literary and social critic, multilingual scholar, teacher and editor.

President of Sanjayan Samskarika Samithi Prof A P Subair presided over the function. Hariprasad Kadamboor, who prepared the lesson on Sanjayan in the Sanskrit textbook for class 10, was honoured. Marar also released the book ‘Sanjayanum Charlie Chaplinum’ written by Prof N N Ramankutty.

Dr P K Dilsha, school principal E M Sathyan, head teacher Sheena, PTA vice-president U Brijesh, Sanjayan Samskarika Samithi secretary P Premnath, T T Rajani, staff secretary Yesudasan, Madhusoodanan and C H Siddique spoke.

Born on June 13, 1903 as Mannikoth Ramunni Nair, Sanjayan was one of the pioneers of satirical writing in Malayalam language. He was also a journalist and developed the genre of light essays. He also translated Othello into Malayalam language. He breathed his last at the age of forty on September 13, 1943.

He had made satirical remarks even on personalities like poet Vallathol Narayana Menon when he was the editor-in-chief of Viswaroopam, a satirical magazine and one of his satirical pieces in Mathrubhoomi on the atrocities of the British army had earned the paper a temporary ban.