Ponneelan, born 1940 at Manikatti Pottal, Kanyakumari district)[1] is the pen name of Kandeswara Bhaktavatsalan, a Tamil writer from Tamil Nadu, India.

[2][3][4] He is a Marxist and was influenced by Tamil Communist leader P. Jeevanandham in his younger days.

He became a teacher and retired as the deputy director of school education for Tamil Nadu.

[5] He won the 1994 Sahitya Akademi Award for Tamil his novel Pudhiya Dharisanangal.

[6][7] He is currently the state president of the Tamil literary organisation Tamil Nadu Kalai Ilakkiya Perumandram.