Book By Hussain Karati , The legend of Kayamkulam Kochunni runs deep in the cultural memory of Kerala, a touristy Southern Indian state best known for its spices, backwaters and early preoccupation with communism. Born to a local thief with no ambition and a nurturing mother under extraordinary poverty in the scenic town of Kayamkulam, Kochunni had to withstand hunger, caste discrimination and societal stigma as a child growing up. While social conditions succeeded in turning him into a thief, later a feared gangster himself, legend has it that he cared for the poor and took it upon himself to distribute his loot from the wealthy and the privileged among the poor and the working classes. He was therefore detested by the rich and revered by the destitute. Here is an imaginative tale of his eventful life, which sheds more light on his controversial reputation. Translated by : Nila Rajeev