Collective of Tamil Creators, Readers, and Social Activists demands withdrawal of Jnanpith Award to Vairamuthu

A Collective of Tamil Creators, Readers and Social Activists has called for immediate withdrawal of the Jnanpith Award given to Vairamuthu.

In the letter, which included 230 signatories, including writer Ambai, poet Sukumaran and actor Rohini, it was pointed out that giving this award to an undeserving person would irreversibly erode the credibility and prestige of the award in the future.

“Vairamuthu’s writings come nowhere close to reflecting the core values ​​of the Tamil society or its long-cherished cultural pride. Instead, his literary identity is defined by spartan writings adorned with superficial and flowery rhetoric. To bestow such a high honor on a commercial writer whose works fail to reflect the true sentiments of the people but merely play on words is an insult to true literary stalwarts,” the letter said.

Noting that about 18 women publicly accused Vairamuthu of sexual harassment through the #MeToo movement, officials said that rewarding a person with such long-standing moral taints was against the morality of a modern society that defends women’s rights.

The letter also stated that the ONV Literary Award was announced for Vairamuthu and that the Kerala Cultural Academy (KCA), which would have given the award, withdrew its decision after the protests. “It is imperative that the Jnanpith committee takes into account this moral precedent set by the KCA. Since it is against literary ethics to bestow a prestigious honor on a person facing such serious allegations, the Jnanpith committee may withdraw its decision based on this precedent.”