Noted Tamil poet and dramatist Inquilab, whose angry lines Manusangada Naanga Manusangada (Humans, we are humans… ) that powerfully portrayed the massacre of 44 Dalits in Keezh Venmani, died here on Thursday. He was 72 and is survived by his wife, two sons and a daughter.
A Marxist-Leninist wedded to the idea of Tamil nationalism, he had asked his family members to donate his body to the Chengalpattu Government Medical College to avoid all religious rituals.
The body will be handed over to the college on Saturday.
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Born Sahul Hameed at Keezhakarai in Ramanathapuram district, he was closely associated with the Vaanampadi poetry movement, a trail blazer, in modern Tamil poetry. He worked as a Tamil Professor at New College in Chennai.
“I think he, perhaps, is the only poet who rendered Sangam literature relevant to contemporary Tamil stage,” said V. Padma, Associate Professor of English, Stella Maris College, who directed all the five plays — Avvai, Manimegalai, Kurinjipaatu, Yaadum Nammoor and Palsaanteerey — of Inquilab.
“He saw Sangam poetry as visual vignettes. For him, Sangam literature is not a dead past but present. He made them accessible in contemporary Tamil,” said Ms. Padma.
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Inquilab worked with the CPI(M) in the beginning and moved towards Marxist-Leninist groups. He vociferously advocated the cause of Sri Lankan Tamils.
“While the poetry of the Vaanampadi movement was marked by stridency in approach, Inquilab’s work had poeticality and lyricism,” said writer and Viduthalai Chiruthaigal Katchi general secretary Ravikumar.
Inquilab was uncompromising and always spoke his mind. When the DMK government organised the 1,000th birth anniversary of Raja Raja Chola, his Tamil nationalism did not come in the way of criticising the celebrations and the government reacted by removing Kanmani Rajam , his poem prescribed for school curriculum in the State.
“He viewed Raja Raja as an imperial king and Thanjavur Big Temple as an exploitation of human labour. He always stood by the oppressed. His admiration for Sangam Tamil works did not prevent him from coming down on the treatment meted out to women in the Tamil society.
He was a rationalist and never once identified himself with religion,” said Mr. Ravikumar. DMK treasurer M.K. Stalin, PMK founder S. Ramadoss and MDMK leader Vaiko condoled Inquilab’s death.