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It was during the time of the Afghan war that I translated into Malayalam the latest book by Noam Chomsky, who was vocally opposing the United States’ intervention. During my postgraduate studies, I had studied Chomsky as a leading figure in grammatical theory and had even established a personal correspondence with him, discussing both his linguistic theories and his views on world affairs.

Around that time, Noushad, the owner of Papiyon Publications and a friend, emphasised the importance of publishing Chomsky’s anti-war book in Malayalam. After speaking directly with Chomsky, I secured the translation rights and enthusiastically translated the book. Chomsky introduced me to the editor who had prepared the English edition and generously ensured that we could obtain the translation rights at no cost. His vision was to spread a message of peace and coexistence during a period of intense war and division.

While the translation was in progress, Chomsky wrote to me saying he would be visiting Kerala the following month – a delightful surprise. Noushad suggested that we could have the book ready for release by the day of Chomsky’s visit. I informed Chomsky that I would meet him in Thiruvananthapuram and personally hand him a copy of the Malayalam translation.

It was November 2001. Noushad and I traveled from Calicut to Thiruvananthapuram, bringing the books along, arranged for sale by a publishing employee. The program was held at the EMS Academy, marking its first major event.

Chomsky entered the hall, greeted several dignitaries, and was surrounded by journalists capturing photographs. Amid this, I approached him and handed over a copy of the translated book. He immediately appreciated it, especially the cover featuring his photograph, and hugged me warmly. Showing it to his wife and to Panikkar, he joked about how good the photograph looked. It was there that Chomsky introduced me to Panikkar.

The programme was distinctive and captivating. The audience included many prominent figures, including N. Ram, editor of The Hindu. While M.A. Baby, now general secretary of the Communist Party of India (Marxist), formally introduced the event, it was Panikkar who guided the discussion, interacting closely with Chomsky and explaining matters with intellectual depth.

Only two chairs were on the stage. Even Pinarayi Vijayan, who, during those days, was Kerala state secretary of the CPI(M), sat among the audience. Panikkar’s engagement demonstrated his remarkable ability to converse with Chomsky on issues of war, imperialism, and historical perspectives. While Chomsky spoke in support of oppressed groups like the Uyghurs, Panikkar engaged from a historically grounded left perspective, offering deep interventions that resonated with all present.

From that first meeting, I admired him deeply. Just as Chomsky was known for his principled positions in Massachusetts, Panikkar had earned recognition as a scholar at Jawaharlal Nehru University. In the Indian context, particularly after the demolition of the Babri Masjid and the global upheavals following September 11, the programme revealed how a Malayali historian could stand intellectually alongside a figure like Chomsky. History, language, international relations, war, and politics – Panikkar explained all these with remarkable clarity, strengthening my own connection to historical scholarship.

Chomsky’s lecture, titled “Globalisation and Human Survival: The Challenges after September 11,” analysed post-September 11 global dynamics, wars, and human alienation. Panikkar contextualised these issues within India and Kerala, enriching the discussion for all attendees. That day, many copies of the Malayalam translation of Chomsky’s book were sold, and several prominent figures obtained Chomsky’s autograph on them.

Years later, during my PhD studies, I continued on the path of historical research. Panikkar consistently opposed religiously driven political interpretations of history and criticised distorted readings that emerged in contemporary India. His seminal work, Against Lord and State, became a cornerstone reference in my own monograph Musaliar King, which explores the decolonial historiography of the Malabar resistance.

Panikkar’s scholarship on the ‘Malabar agrarian resistance’ was pioneering. Drawing on his family experiences, he produced a rare and deeply informed study that remained the only work by a Malayali scholar widely available in foreign libraries. His research helped clarify historical controversies, especially colonial interpretations of fanaticism and Hindu-Muslim relations during the Malabar resistance.

Being a scholar from a Hindu family living amidst the radiance of the resistance movement, his scholarship and writing have influenced me greatly, particularly in the study of the Malabar resistance. When I verified a photograph of Variyan Kunnath Kunjahammad Haji at the Bibliothèque nationale de France, a copy of Panikkar’s book proved invaluable for introducing this seminal event and highlighting its significance in history.

While I personally disagree with colonial terminologies, I consciously avoid colonial terms, narratives, and frameworks, adopting a decolonial perspective. Over three decades, my academic engagement with Panikkar’s works has profoundly shaped my understanding of historical activism, agrarian movements, and intellectual resistance.

Today, as the world faces new conflicts in West Asia and rising economic pressures, news of Panikkar’s passing is a profound loss. His absence leaves a significant void in the anti-imperialist and anti-fascist intellectual space, as well as in the field of agrarian history and historical activism.

Abbas Panakkal is a historian and advisor to the RLBC, University of Surrey, and an Edward Cadbury Fellow at the University of Birmingham, UK.

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