Kerala - Thiruvananthapuram   

PG receives Kerala Sahitya Akademi fellowship

Photo: S. Gopakumar

HONOUR: Minister for Culture M.A. Baby presenting the fellowship of the Kerala Sahitya Akademi to Marxist ideologue and writer P. Govinda Pillai in the city on Monday. —

Thiruvananthapuram: Marxist ideologue and writer P. Govinda Pillai was conferred the fellowship of the Kerala Sahitya Akademi at a simple function at his house on Monday evening.

Minister for Culture M.A. Baby presented Mr. Pillai with a citation, gold medal and a cheque for Rs.50,000 in the presence of a galaxy of writers and cultural personalities.

Speakers at the function extolled the contributions of Mr. Pillai, popularly known as ‘PG,’ to the political, social and cultural life of Kerala.

Mr. Baby recalled the decisive role played by PG in defining culture, literature and arts as instruments of social transformation. PG will be remembered for his role in promoting progressive literature, Mr. Baby said. “I am happy that PG has been honoured by the Akademi in a befitting manner, though belatedly,” he said.

Presiding over the function, Sahitya Akademi president M. Mukundan said PG’s literary output, spanning a period of 60 years, had enriched and broadened the horizon of the Left. Speakers at the function recalled PG’s contribution to progressive literature and the evolution of Marxist literary theory.

In his speech, PG said he was happy to receive the fellowship. “My heart overflows with gratitude for the kind words showered on me,” he said. “At 82, my eyes, ear and body are not what they used to be. Yet, I hope to complete the work on six or seven books in another three years.”

Akademi secretary Purushan Kadalundy; executive committee members Prabha Varma and Asokan Charuvil; MLAs V. Surendran Pillai, A. Pradeepkumar and V. Sivankutty; I.V. Das, Pirappancode Murali, V.N. Murali, KEN, Neelamperur Madhusoodanan, M.P. Lalitha Bai and others attended the function. PG’s wife, M.J. Rajamma, was also present.

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