Where are we going with our stupidity?
Forced to withdraw novel, Tamil author announces his ‘death’...
PERUMAL MURUGAN is a well-known contemporary Tamil writer and poet. He has written six novels, four collections of short stories and four anthologies of poetry. Two of his novels have been translated into English to wide acclaim: Seasons of the Palm, which was shortlisted for the prestigious Kiriyama Award in 2005, and Current Show. He has received awards from the Tamil Nadu government as well as from Katha Books.
He has decided not to write anymore, and has withdrawn all his books. His decision comes on the back of raging protests against his latest book.
In 2010, he published the book Madhorubagan... which was subsequently translated into 'One Part Woman,' This is the book that has been deemed offensive by Hindu and caste-based outfits.
This tiny, vocal, rabid fringe that thinks nothing about hounding people who go against their view of what is right has such a small 'Taliban' like view of the country and are busy driving people to their narrow view. They have said that no writer who dares to touch the Hindu sentiment will be able to live in Tamil Nadu.
It scares me that this State that has given rise to the best social reforms movements in the country is emerging as a laboratory of casteist and religious fundamentalists in South India. These are people who are in their very mental makeup are an antithesis to the idea of a plural, and diverse nation and want this country to embody their narrow view of religion, culture and nationhood.
It scares me that the Government Machinery has facilitated the hounding of a much felicitated writer by people whose protests should have been put down in the first place.
It scares me that the changes I see are likely to get worse and the state defined by its pride in its cultural heritage, its history and its advancement in various spheres including - Literature and education, Inclusiveness and industrial development is slowly going down the Gujarat Model of development.
Forced to withdraw novel, Tamil author announces his ‘death’...
PERUMAL MURUGAN is a well-known contemporary Tamil writer and poet. He has written six novels, four collections of short stories and four anthologies of poetry. Two of his novels have been translated into English to wide acclaim: Seasons of the Palm, which was shortlisted for the prestigious Kiriyama Award in 2005, and Current Show. He has received awards from the Tamil Nadu government as well as from Katha Books.
He has decided not to write anymore, and has withdrawn all his books. His decision comes on the back of raging protests against his latest book.
In 2010, he published the book Madhorubagan... which was subsequently translated into 'One Part Woman,' This is the book that has been deemed offensive by Hindu and caste-based outfits.
This tiny, vocal, rabid fringe that thinks nothing about hounding people who go against their view of what is right has such a small 'Taliban' like view of the country and are busy driving people to their narrow view. They have said that no writer who dares to touch the Hindu sentiment will be able to live in Tamil Nadu.
It scares me that this State that has given rise to the best social reforms movements in the country is emerging as a laboratory of casteist and religious fundamentalists in South India. These are people who are in their very mental makeup are an antithesis to the idea of a plural, and diverse nation and want this country to embody their narrow view of religion, culture and nationhood.
It scares me that the Government Machinery has facilitated the hounding of a much felicitated writer by people whose protests should have been put down in the first place.
It scares me that the changes I see are likely to get worse and the state defined by its pride in its cultural heritage, its history and its advancement in various spheres including - Literature and education, Inclusiveness and industrial development is slowly going down the Gujarat Model of development.
