This is with reference to the letter writers (Aug.29-30) on poet Subramania Bharati and the issue of food security. I am afraid that the second writer (Aug.30) has given a free rein to his imagination in interpreting the quote. Thanjavur Tamil University’s research edition on Bharathiar has the referred line which is: “ Thani oruvanukku unavillayenil jagaththinai azhiththiduvom. ”
This can only be translated as “We will destroy the (whole) world (universe) if there is no food for even one individual.” There is no mention of ploughing the whole world and flooding it with food, even in the next lines. I think the writer mixed up “ azhiththal ” which means “destroying” and “ uzhuthal ” which means “ploughing.” Injustices made poet Bharati very angry and if he said “we will destroy the world,” that’s what he meant.
Vathsala Vijayakumar
Chennai
