In literature, there are no Left or Right camps, only the side of truth: Speaker
Speaker Thiruvanchoor Radhakrishnan on Monday said literature transcends political binaries and that the true calling of a writer is to stand firmly on the side
Speaker Thiruvanchoor Radhakrishnan on Monday said literature transcends political binaries and that the true calling of a writer is to stand firmly on the side of truth. “There are no Left or Right camps in literature. There is only the side of truth. A writer’s duty is fulfilled when he or she shows society the path of righteousness,” the Speaker said while presenting the ninth Anganam Shamsuddeen Memorial Awards at the Kerala Sahitya Akademi in Thrissur. Recalling his student politics days, Mr. Radhakrishnan said the late Shamsuddeen had served as the district president of KSU when he himself was the State president of the organisation.
“Student leaders of those days may have carried different flags, but they shared many of the same experiences, often bitter ones. We should always strive to follow the path of goodness. We must not assume that everything we do is inherently good because goodness is relative,” he said. Expressing concern over the erosion of mutual respect in public life, he said people today were increasingly reluctant to respect differing views. “One must have the courage to stand by the decisions one has taken after careful conviction,” he added.
The function was presided over by Dr. P. Saraswathi, chairperson of the Anganam Shamsuddeen Smrithi. The Anganam Shamsuddeen Memorial Award for Distinguished Literary Service, carrying a cash prize of ₹20,000 and a sculpture, was presented to noted short story writer and cultural activist Vaishakhan. Awards carrying ₹10,000 and a sculpture each were presented in various categories. Ashtamoorthy received the award for short story for Pusthaka Vilppanakkarante Maranam (The Death of a Bookseller); Arya Gopi for poetry for Kannadiyile Daivam (God in the Mirror); Sebastian for poetry for Jalachayam (Watercolour); Dr. T.T. Prabhakaran for literary studies for Radio Nadakangalude Soundaryasasthram (The Aesthetics of Radio Plays); K.
Raghunathan for the novel Ajnathanama; and C. Ganesh for the novel Banga.
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