Thiruvananthapuram: Eminent economist and Dalit thinker Dr M. Kunhaman has passed away. He was found dead at his residence in Sreekaryam here on Sunday evening. He was 74.

He taught for several years at the Economics Department of Kerala University and later joined the Tuljapur campus of the Tata Institute of Social Sciences (TISS) in 2007.

Born in Palakkad to couples Cheron and Ayyappan, his childhood was marked by poverty and caste persecution. He later wrote extensively about the Dalit oppression in the state.

After primary education, he bagged the first rank in MA Economics from Calicut University in 1974, the second person from the Dalit community to do so after former president KR Narayanan. He pursued his PhD studies at the Centre for Development Studies (CDS) in Thiruvananthapuram. 

His noted works include Development of Tribal Economy, State Level Planning in India, Economic Development and Social Globalization. In 2021, he received the Kerala Sahitya Akademi Award for his autobiography 'Ethire' (Against).