The Hindu : Tamil Nadu / Chennai News : Tamil translation of Malayalam travelogue launched

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Monday, Jan 04, 2010
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Tamil translation of Malayalam travelogue launched

Special Correspondent

— Photo: M. Vedhan

Kanimozhi, MP, receives the first copy of ‘Velli Panimalaiyin Meethu’, the Tamil translation of Malayalam author M.P. Veerendra Kumar’s travelogue, from Tamil writer Prapanchan in Chennai on Sunday. (From left) R. Natarajan, IIPM professor, and Mr. Veerendra Kumar are in the picture.

CHENNAI: The Tamil translation of journalist-author M. P. Veerendra Kumar’s Malayalam travelogue, ‘Hymavathabhoovil,’ was launched here on Sunday.

‘Velli Panimalaiyin Meethu,’ which conveys to Tamil readership Mr. Veerendra Kumar’s experiences during a journey by road from Delhi to the Himalayas, was launched as part of the ongoing 33rd Chennai Book Fair.

Kanimozhi, MP, who received the first copy of the book from Tamil writer and critic Prapanchan, said the author had not presented a judgemental view; rather he had captured the cultural history of a land through scenes and situations.

This was important because Indian’s mythology was always at risk of being misrepresented for vested designs, she said.

Mr. Kanimozhi also said it was appropriate at a knowledge forum such as a book fair to underscore how deep-rooted caste divisions still persisted in society.

Mr. Prapanchan hoped that Mr. Veerendra Kumar’s perspective on Indian history and culture shaped by the journey to the Himalayas would inspire good travelogues in Tamil.

He noted that travel for travel’s sake was not a part of life here unlike in the West. This was perhaps why good travelogues in Indian languages, especially Tamil, were scarce, he said.

More translations called for

Mr. Veerendra Kumar, who is chairman and managing director, Mathrubhumi group of publications, called for more Malayalam translations of Tamil literary works and vice versa. Though the two languages were bonded by history and culture, Tamil literature was fairly little known in Kerala in the absence of translations.

He pointed out that Ms. Kanimozhi’s poetry had a fan following in Kerala after Mathrubhumi brought out translations of her works. Though Tamil writer Prapanchan was familiar to Keralites, Malayalam translations of his works would help Malayali readers know him better, he said.

Mr. Veerendra Kumar commended the translator Sirpi Balasubramaniam for an outstanding effort that “perhaps bettered the original.”

R. Natarajan, IIPM professor and translator, said the book was a travel documentation that, like all good travelogues, would stand the test of time. R. Krishnamurthy, Editor, Dinamalar and Chockalingam representing the publishers Kavitha Publications also spoke.

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