Writers cannot remain aloof in these troubling times when the society is increasingly riven by casteist and religious sentiments, Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan has said.
The Chief Minister was speaking after presenting the ONV Award 2019 instituted by the University of Kerala to writer T. Padmanabhan here on Wednesday.
Writers such as O.N.V. Kurup and Padmanabhan did not turn a blind eye to grim realities. Their works reflected the burning truths of society, Mr. Vijayan said. Writers, in fact, can never ignore the world they live in, he said, adding that the memories of the partition are kept alight not just by historical facts, but by literary works also. Tamas by Bhisham Sahni, for instance, threw light on the experiences of that stressful era.
Statue unveiled
The Chief Minister also unveiled a statue of O.N.V. Kurup at the memorial on the university campus.
Mr. Padmanabhan recalled that ONV had been a frequent visitor when he was hospitalised in Thiruvananthapuram for a month.
ONV’s wife Sarojini released Pakshiyude Athmavulla Kavi , a book on the poet published by the university’s Malayalam Department and edited by Dr. Siddiq M.A. Pro-Vice Chancellor P.P. Ajayakumar received the first copy.
