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| Kerala Sahithya Academy president M Mukundan presenting the Asan Smaraka Kavitha Puraskaram to poet M N Paloor at an awards ceremony in Chennai on Sunday. Also seen are Asan Memorial Association president C K Revi and film director K S Sethumadhavan.
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NT Bureau | Tue, 27 Oct, 2009,10:31 AM |
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It is time Malayalam writers introspect collectively and make a positive contribution to the society which is going through a dangerous phase in Kerala, observed M Mukundan, a renowned novelist and president of Kerala Sahithya Academy.
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While litterateurs have the capability and prowess to reform the society, the present generation of Malayalam writers have lost their faith in the power of pen to usher in changes for the good, he said.
At the same time, Mukundan recalled that generations of writers have strived for social reform in Kerala in sharp contrast to helplessness and a sense of cynicism being felt by the present crop of novelists and poets in general.
He was speaking after giving away the Asan Smaraka Kavitha Puraskaram 2009 instituted by Asan Memorial Association to well-known poet M N Paloor in Chennai on Sunday.
The coveted award is being given to notable Malayalam poets since 1985 for their contribution to the development of literature and to the well-being of society at large. Mukundan expressed joy in giving away the honour to Paloor who richly deserved this recognition for his wide range of poetry covering diverse subjects and human emotions.
Further, he pointed out that Chennai has nurtured a host of eminent personalities in diverse fields including journalism, movie industry and literary arena who have embellished the artistic landscape of Kerala over the decades.
Mukundan called upon the right thinking people in Kerala to deliberate on how to revive the glory of ancient literature and fine arts which sustained the uniqueness of Malayalee culture.
In his acceptance speech, Paloor said the identity crisis in the society was mainly due to straying away from the path of Advaita philosophy of Hinduism. Recalling an incident, he said though caste system was rigid in Kerala in the past, there were exceptions to the norm like A R Raja Raja Verma and Ulloor Parameswaran Iyer who treated a personality like Kumaran Asan, a poetic genius, with respect and as their equal in the society.
Pointing out that social reformers like Narayana Guru and Vallathol Menon inspired Kumaran Asan who had carved a niche for himself in Malayalam literature, Paloor said religious scriptures like Bhagavad Gita and Mahabharatam have created a deep impact on most of the literary works emanating from Kerala of a bygone era. Though Paloor had not been to school, his mastery of Sanskrit helped him to churn out hundreds of soulful poetry. Asan Memorial Association president Dr C K Revi, film director K S Sethumadhavan and Medimix group CEO Dr A V Anoop felicitated the veteran poet on the occasion. AMA office-bearers E K Purushotaman, C G Rajendra Babu and G Prabha also spoke during the award ceremony.
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