Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan paid rich tributes to the late poet O.N.V. Kurup on the occasion of his 86th birth anniversary by calling him a torchbearer of progressiveness in Malayalam literature.
He added that ONV’s efforts in popularising the language proved instrumental in the government’s decision to make the language a compulsory subject in all schools in the State till Class 10.
Formally inaugurating the ONV Cultural Academy here on Saturday, Mr. Vijayan said the implementation of the provisions of the Malayalam Language Bill would be the greatest tribute that the State could offer to the cultural icon. “His commitment led to Malayalam being accorded the classical status,” he reminisced.
Mr. Vijayan added that the government will construct a cultural complex as memorial to O.N.V. Kurup at a total cost of ₹5 crore. An amount of ₹2 crore will be utilised this year.
He presented the first ONV Literary Award to poet-activist Sugathakumari. The award consisted of a purse of ₹3 lakh, a sculpture and citation.
Former Kerala Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC) president V.M. Sudheeran presented the ONV Yuva Prathibha Awards to Arya Gopi and Sumesh Krishnan for their respective works Avasaanathe Manushyan and Rudraksham . The award carries ₹50,000 in cash, a sculpture and citation.
Filmmaker and ONV Cultural Academy chairman Adoor Gopalakrishnan said ONV’s compassion for his fellow beings and his land is reflected in his works. He also appreciated the government move to make Malayalam a compulsory subject in schools.
