The Hindu : Tamil Nadu / Chennai News : Karunanidhi to adapt literary works into Tamil

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Sunday, Oct 05, 2008
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Tamil Nadu

Tamil Nadu - Chennai

Karunanidhi to adapt literary works into Tamil

Special Correspondent

“If an opportunity arises in the future, I will do it”

— Photo: R. Ragu

RECOGNITION: Chief Minister M. Karunanidhi being felicitated by Vladislav Antonyuk, Consul-General of the Russian Federation in South India, at a function in Chennai on Saturday. Writer D. Jayakanthan, founder Chairman, IRCUFS, is in the picture.

CHENNAI: Chief Minister M. Karunanidhi on Saturday announced his intention to adapt literary works from other languages into Tamil.

“If an opportunity arises in the future, I will do it,” he told a function organised by the Indo-Russian Cultural and Friendship Society (IRCUFS), Tamil Nadu, and Russian Centre for Science and Culture, to felicitate him for rendering Maxim Gorky’s Mother as Thai Kaaviyam in verse form in Tamil.

Mr. Karunanidhi recited his first poem on the Mother character in Sangam literature penned when he was working for Kudiarasu journal almost 60 years ago. “I was impressed by the Mother in the novel directly entering the battlefield as warrior.”

Mr. Karunanidhi said though his work was released five years ago, it actually got approval and recognition today because writer Jayakanthan had appreciated it.

Editor-in-Chief of The Hindu N. Ram said it was astonishing to know that Mr. Karunanidhi, in the thick of political activities in 2004, translated a classic written many years ago.

Describing the friendship between India and Russia as enduring, he said Russia was India’s most important strategic partner, whether it was as Soviet Union or after its dissolution. After the Pokhran nuclear tests in 1998, it was only Russia that came forward to honour a nuclear agreement that had become defunct.

At present, Russia was India’s only active co-operator in civilian nuclear energy. Once Russia entered into an agreement, whatever happened, they would honour it, he added.

Consul General of Russian Federation in South India Vladislav Antonyuk said the nuclear power plants in Koodankulam would start producing 1000 MW by the end of next year.

Writer and founder chairman of IRCUFS Jayakanthan said the friendship between India and Russia dated back to the days of Tolstoy. Mahatma Gandhi used to correspond with the great writer when he was in South Africa, he noted.

Earlier the Chief Minister inaugurated the new office of the IRCUFS.

Counsellor and head of the Cultural Department, Embassy of the Russial Federation in India F.A. Razovoskiy, industrialist Pollachi N. Mahalingam, lyricist Vairamuthu, film director Bharathiraja and IRCUFS general secretary P. Thangappan participated.

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