Prema Ann Kurien, a professor at Syracuse University, NY and her sister Priya, Manager IBM London flew down to Kerala’s Kochi recently to mourn the death of their 93-year old father CT Kurian, called India’s Poor Man’s Economist.

Prof. CT Kurien and his most popular books

A product of Stanford and Yale, Prof Kurian earned his PhD under Stanford’s Nobel laureate Kenneth Arrow to teach at the Madras Christian College, found the Madras School of Development Studies and write his epochal work ‘Wealth and Illfare’. A host of master pieces followed. He was advisor to both Kerala and Union governments and was also President of the Indian Economic Association.

CTK’s brother John Kurien, Prema and Priya’s son Roshan Benefo 

Christopher Thomas Kurian’s mind was hyper active till very recently when he was confined to a geriatric centre Irene Homes at Chrysostom Mount, Puthencruze near Kochi along with his life-partner Susy Kurien. “They were like love birds till he departed, chattering and holding hands whenever seen outside,” said Director Fr Dr. Samuel Varghese of the Marthoma Church that runs the Home.

Gabriele Dietrich and Jesudas Athyal pay homage

The grand old man’s last request was to take care of his wife when he departs. Fr. Samuel who has his PhD from the Asbury Theological Seminary, Wilmore, Kentucky with his wife Rachel, a medical doctor specialized in physical medicine and rehabilitation, readily agreed. There are 40 inmates in Irene Homes of whom almost half are couples. 
Susy, who will be 90 on October 14, is a retired teacher from Tiruvalla, and also the daughter of the late Evangelical Bishop  the late K.N. Oommen. Her husband was also the son of a clergyman-the late Rev. VT Kurian of Pathanamthitta who served as Principal of the United Theological College in Thiruvananthapuram.  

Profs Michael Tharakan, Mammen Varkey, Madhura Swaminathan, George Mundakkal (Sydney), Ravi Raman

Prof. CT Kurian was a great economist but more than that he was a great Christian,’ said Dr. Jesudas Athyal, a long time associate in his eulogy at the CSI Immanuel Cathedral in Ernakulam where many of the dear departed’s former students, colleagues and admirers converged.  ‘He had great concern for the poor and the down trodden, hammered still by the arms of globalization.’

Susy Kurien, 90, with Fr. Samuel Varghese‘

He focused on the structural issues and inequalities that perpetuate poverty in India. His research and writings consistently emphasized the need for economic policies that address these root causes. He was critical of mainstream economics for its failure to take account of real-world factors.’ Jesudas who earned his PhD on the Radical Humanism of MN Roy from the University of Pune, added. He also served as visiting researcher  at the School of Theology of the University of Boston.

V. K. Ramachandran, Planning Board member 

Dr. VK Ramachandran, vice chairman of Kerala State Planning Board and former student of CTK at Madras Christian College and also colleague of him at the Madras Institute of Development Studies said that his guru will be known primarily as one who probed the real causes of India’s poverty and deprivation. He disagreed with his PhD professor Kenneth Arrow at Stanford and agreed with Amartya Sen, another Nobel winner who was also professor there that India with surplus labour should have different measures to gauge the real malady. “Who owns what, who does what and who gets what’ was the formula that CTK enunciated in his classic work ‘Wealth and Illfare’.

CT’s brother Biji Kurien, MIDS director Suresh Babu. 

Dr. Michael Tharakan, Chairman of the Centre for Social, Economical and Environmental Studies in Kochi and former Vice Chancellor of Kannur University said the first book he had bought out of his own money was CTK’s volume on Five Year Plans. Later when he became associated with CDS-Centre for Development Studies in Thiruvananthapuram, it had interactions with MIDS-Madras Institute of Development Studies in Chennai that grew into a national centre of excellence.

Priya, Prema, Roshan

MIDS Director Dr. Suresh Babu and CTK’s brother Biji Kurien also paid their homage. Biji retired as MD of Berger Paints. He had arrived for the wake accompanied by his son Vinay Kurien, a lawyer in Singapore.

Dr. Gabriele Dietrich, a close associate of  Dr. CT. Kurian, laid a wreath but sat among the mourners in reverential silence. Her silence was more vocal as she shared most of what CTK stood for, economics for awakening and transforming the poor. The Germany-born Dietrich is a naturalised Indian sociologist and philosopher who teaches at the Tamil Nadu Theological Seminary, Madurai.

A row of the mourners

Priya Kurien in her thank you note recalled her association with her father from the days of her as a toddler. She carried with her his love of music, arts and gardening to Bangalore, and London. The magic of his gentle, soft reasoning helped her to be downright human.  ‘I loved him and he returned the love in abundance,’ Priya sobbed while winding up her three minute speech.

Prof. Gabriele Dietrich and her seminal work on India

Prema, a professor at the Maxwell Centre of Sociology and Public Policy, Syracuse University, New York, was accompanied by her son Roshan Benefo, a robotics engineer in San Francisco. Her husband Kofi D. Benefo is professor of sociology at Lehman College under CUNY-City University of New York.  Priya Kurien, Senior Manager IBM, London is married to Was Rehman.        

Mrs Susy Kurien, who turns 90 on October 14, did not attend. A special memorial service was held for her at the Irene Homes.