Writer P. Valsala brought out unknown realities about tribespeople through her novels and short stories, Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan has said.
He was here on Thursday to give away the State government’s prestigious Ezhuthachan Puraskaram to the writer. Mr. Vijayan said the award in memory of Ezhuthachan was being given to an apt person. The award carries a purse of ₹5 lakh, a citation, and a shawl.
Ms. Valsala gave prominence to women and tribespeople in her works, which reflected her political views. The award is being given at a time when Nellu, her famous novel, is celebrating the 50th year of its publication. The novel depicted the exploitation of tribespeople by their feudal lords, he said.
Talking about Ezhuthachan, the Chief Minister said that the relevance of his literary works such as Adhyathma Ramayanam lie in the egalitarian principles they focussed on. “Though his Ramayanam was the tale of a king, it also aimed the emancipation of the common man. It tried to guide the people through devotion to the right path in life,” Mr. Vijayan pointed.
Quoting from the text, he said there were verses that reflected on the mortality of human life. “It was a direct message to the then rich and powerful people who immersed themselves in a luxury life. Ezhuthachan also wrote Harinamakeerthanam, which declared that Hari, the God, does not belong to the Brahmins alone who perform ‘puja’ and ‘yajna’. There was a principle of equality inherent in all these verses,” Mr. Vijayan added.
In her acceptance speech, Ms. Valsala recalled how her reading habit was shaped up by her mother who was a voracious reader. Minister for Cultural Affairs V.N. Vasavan, K. Satchidanandan, Kerala Sahitya Academy president, and V.P. Joy, Chief Secretary, were present.
