Goa Governor and writer Mridula Sinha has said that the objective of literature is to keep every one healthy and help them search for the God within.
Speaking at the 72nd anniversary of TBS Publishing in Kozhikode on Wednesday, she stressed the need for value-based education among the youth.
“The objective of literature is complete when it is for the good of mankind. A writer should not be like a spider sitting on a web, but a honey bee. He or she should go to every section of society and absorb its essence,” she added.
Writer R. Surendran, who translated her short stories in Hindi to Malayalam, said that Ms. Sinha defied the common belief that writers become lethargic once they reach a powerful position. Ms. Sinha has portrayed in her works the rural life in Bihar, her native State, and has focused on the beauty of small things. He particularly mentioned her portrayal of some of the female characters in Indian mythology in which she has used the autobiography style of writing.
Earlier, poet S. Rameshan Nair, who recently bagged the Sahitya Akademi award, was honoured.
Writer C. Radhakrishnan released an anthology of short stories by Ms. Sinha, translated into Malayalam. Delivering the keynote address on ‘the new directions of reading’, Mr. Radhakrishnan said that writers in regional languages have a bright future ahead as the online platform has opened doors for them. He pointed out how the reading experience has changed over the years and envisaged a time when books will be printed and delivered on demand.
Academician M.M. Basheer and TBS founder N.E. Balakrishna Marar were present.