E-Paper
Tamil writer Cho Dharman, Shashi Tharoor among Sahitya Akademi Award winners
The Sahitya Akademi announced the names of the winners on Wednesday. Dharman won the award for his Tamil novel “Sool”, Tharoor for his book “An Era of Darkness” in English while Acharya will receive the award for his book of Hindi poetry, “Chheelatey Hue Apne Ko”.
Congress MP and writer Shashi Tharoor, playwright Nand Kishore Acharya and Tamil writer Cho Dharman are among 23 writers chosen for the prestigious Sahitya Akademi Award 2019.
The Sahitya Akademi announced the names of the winners on Wednesday. Dharman won the award for his Tamil novel “Sool”, Tharoor for his book “An Era of Darkness” in English while Acharya will receive the award for his book of Hindi poetry, “Chheelatey Hue Apne Ko”.
Swimming against the tide and refusing to be identified as a Dalit writer, Cho Dharuman has distinguished himself in the Tamil creative domain.
Expressing happiness for being named for the Sahitya Akademi Award, Dharman said, “I am a writer and not an actor. I will remain like a herb rather than being sunflower.”
“Sool” talks about the need to preserve natural water resources like lakes, taking that as a riveting imagery for procreation and conception. The narrative also touches upon how the old palace of Urulaikudi village withered away and replaced by modern forms of governance.
In his works, the 66-year-old former textile mill worker had documented the travails of Dalits, farmers and agricultural workers of the semi arid region in and around Kovilpatti, comprising parts of Thoothukudi, Virudhunagar and Tirunelveli districts.
A nuanced story teller, he presents modern forms of untouchability in its various manifestations. However, like another important creative writer, Imayam, he detests his writings being clubbed as Dalit writing.
“There is no such thing as Dalit writing. I may be a Dalit by birth, but don’t segregate my writing. Why do you need reservation in writing? When a lion writes its biography, unless it writes about the hunter, it is incomplete. How can I write only about myself?” Dharuman had said earlier in an interview.
Born S Dharmaraj, he has no qualms in talking about the persistence of untouchability.
His first collection of short stories was published in 1992. “Koogai”, another acclaimed novel by Dharman has been translated into English as “The Owl”.
‘Koogai’ had bagged the ‘Ilakiya Chithanai’ award of the Tamil Nadu government in 2005. In 1992, his short story collection has also won the state government award.
