Life convict’s book wins acclaim

It is titled Mannum Mazhai Neerum

Serving a life term in the Tiruchi Central Prison has not restrained the creativity of V. Radhakrishnan. The 45-year-old convict has spent a long time behind bars productively expressing his thoughts and feelings in a book authored by him.

Titled “ Mannum Mazhai Neerum ” (Soil and Rain Water), the 186-page book authored by Radhakrishnan has won him acclaim and admiration now. The Department of Tamil Development has chosen the convict’s book for a prize under the head “Pudhu Kavidhai” and decided to felicitate him.

An appreciation certificate and a prize would be awarded to Radhakrishnan at a function to be held on April 29 during the “Tamizh Kavingnar Naal Vizha” to be organised in connection with poet Pavendar Bharathidasan’s birth anniversary at Chennai.

Prison authorities told ‘

The Hindu ’ that the convict hailing from Nagercoil district had published the book in 2014 when he went to his native place on emergency leave. He had seen sent his book in 2015 through his family upon seeing the newspaper regarding the contest and sent a letter in this regard.

Radhakrishnan will not be able to make it to Chennai to receive the award in person as the communication came at the eleventh hour, said prison authorities.

An Assistant Jailor would instead be deputed to receive the prize on behalf of the life convict, said the Superintendent of Prisons, Tiruchi Nigila Nagendran.

Radhakrishnan was sentenced to death along with two others for murdering notorious gang leader Ayyavoo in a court hall in front of a Judicial Magistrate at Nagercoil in 1994.