“Short story is the seed from which all other literary forms germinated,” said DMK President Kalaignar adding poet Vairamuthu’s writings would survive the test of time for generations.
Releasing a short story collection of the poet at a function in Chennai on Oct 10, he said that he had the opportunity to release all the poetry, prose poems, epic poems and novels and he was putting forward the collection of the poet’s 40 short stories, rightfully as the lyricist called him the ‘teacher’ and he called him as his younger brother.
Short story was a linguistic form used since humanity started speaking. Short story was used as a bridge between one who listened and the other who explained something that struck in his thinking or a situation or incident that he witnesses with his eyes with the condition and development of wisdom of each. Small story was a form of all literary works. Short story is the form from which all other literary forms germinated. A creative writer, irrespective of the genre, conceived ideas in the form of characters or situations or incidents in short stories. Short stories found their expression in all other literary forms.
In world literature, American writers Edgar Allan Poe and O. Henri are said to the starting points of short stories. But Anton Chekhov is said to be the pioneer for short stories in best forms. Of course there were short stories prior to them. There is lot of short stories in the Bible, considered to be the great literary work. Prophet Mohamed preached people through short stories.
“Arignar Anna had written lot of short stories and I have also written. Brother Vairamuthu has vent his anger in the preface of this book telling ‘I condemn as fraud of criticism in rejecting very good short stories written by Arignar Anna and Kalaignar in the literary space of the Dravidian movement’” Kalaignar said.  
Kalaignar recalled what he had stated in his prologue to the book ‘Vairamuthu Poems’,

“Ϫj¡ fU¥ò kåjD¡FŸns, Ϥjid beU¥ò¥ ÃH«òfsh?

 Ït‹ f‰gid C‰W¡FŸns  Ϥjid gå kiyfsh?

 Ït‹ Ïja¥ ig¡FŸ jh‹ v¤jid  f®¥g¥ igfŸ?

  Ït‹ _is¡FŸns jh‹ v¤jid Mæu« éU£r§fS¡fhd éijfŸ?”  
(wondering “so many infernos inside this black man; so many icebergs inside his imagination spring; how many fetuses inside his heart; how many seeds for so many thousand trees inside his brain”).
About this collection of short stories, Kalaignar cited some portions of a few stories to point out the fineness of description and the force of emotions of the characters. Kalaignar cited an evidence for the imagination and writing of Vairamuthu.
When the DMK government was dismissed in 1991, the poet wrote in ‘Kungumam’ then published by him (Kalaignar) “Aye, Anarkali! After you the one who was buried alive was democracy”. After reading this Kalaignar said he rang up to the poet and said that he was profited by the dismissal of his government because he could get such a nice verse.
Kalaignar said that Vairamuthu has followed the pattern of O. Henri in some of these stories by giving a gist of the story in the last sentence. In these short stories many including from Buddha to King Rajarajan, Maha Dharma to differently abled, Poet Abdullah to mentally ill Ibrahim, lawyer Tiger Ramanujam to Eelam Tamil Kadirgaman are frequenting Paramachary shows his head, different kinds of women, different localities and different sites are narrated in the weaving of the stories.
Epics are combined effects of hundreds of stories and short stories. There are short stories in Sangam literature also. Though the lyrics of Sangam literature were not written for short stories it could not be denied that the situations narrated in them were short stories that appeal even now. For example was the Purananooru lyric in nine lines authored by Kaakkaipaadiniyar Nachchellayar, which he adopted for a poetic text seventy years back in 1945, Kalaignar said and recalled the verse.

Foirjh‹! xU òw¤Âš

       Tça ntšthŸ

tçirahŒ mik¤ÂU¡F« - ita¤ij¥

       Ão¥gj‰F« bt«gif Ko¥gj‰F«

to¤Jit¤j gil¡fy«nghš ä‹D«; äëU«

òèæ‹ Fifæåny mH»šiy -

                                                       òJika‹W!

»èÍ« bkŒ Á讥ò«

       Ñêw§F« j‹ikÍ« jiyfh£lh

khd¤Â‹ ciwél« -

                                           kwt‹ khëif!

Ïšy¤J thæèny

       »©z¤J¢ nrh‰nwhL

btšy¤ij¢ Á¿J fyªJ

       tæ‰W¡FŸ têaD¥g¥

bgh¡if thŒjid¤ ÂwªJ

       Ãoa‹d« vL¤J¥ ngh£lhŸ

bgUeiu¡ »Hé bahU¤Â,

Xo tªjh‹ xU Åu‹

``xU nr gh£o!’’ v‹wh‹.

Motªj ÁWänghš

bgU_¢R th§F»‹whŒ

M© kfdh Ú j«Ã?

_¢R¡F _¢R Ïilntis V‰gl£L«;  Ë,

ng¢R¡F¤ bjhl¡f« brŒ v‹whŸ mªj¡

                               »©lY¡F¥ ng®nghd

»H£L¤ jäH¢Á!

nto¡if neu« ÏJtšy gh£o - c‹

       tho¡if¡ nfèia é£LéL.

`koªjh‹ c‹ kf‹ fs¤Âš’

       v‹wh‹ - kd«

xoªJ ã䮪jhŸ jhŒ¡»Hé xUKiw!

``jha« MLifæš fhŒfis

       bt£LtJ©L - fsK« mJjh‹.

fha« kh®Ãyh? KJ»yh?

       fHWthŒ’’ v‹whŸ - KJ»by‹wh‹.

»Hé Jo¤jdŸ; Ïja« bto¤jdŸ;

       this vL¤jdŸ;

KHÎ xè¤j ¡if neh¡»

       KL¡»dhŸ ntf«!

``nfhiH¡F¥ ghš bfhL¤nj‹

       F¥òw ÅœªJ »l¡F«

nkhiH¡F¥ bga®

       ngh® Åudh«! K‹bghU ehŸ

ghŒªJ tªj <£o¡F¥

       gš brhšy kh®ig¡ fh£o¢

rhŒªJ »lªjh® v‹ rhfhj f©zhs®.

mtU¡F¥ Ãwªjhdh?

       mllh khdbk§nf - F£o¢

RtU¡F« ÑHhf ÅœªJ g£lh‹.

Ïka tu«Ãåny Åu« Áç¡F« - ϧF

       Åiz eu«Ãåny Ïir Jo¡F«.

mJΫ khd« khdbk‹nw xè¡F«!

       kJΫ RwhΫ c©L thG«

khdk‰w t«rkh Ú - Vlh

       kw¤ j䜡 Foæny khR öé é£lhŒ

kh®ò bfhL¤nj‹

       kfdhŒ ts®¤nj‹ -

‹W bfhG¤J¤

Âä® ghŒªj njhŸfbs§nf?

       ÂdbtL¡féšiyah? mªnjh!

ntY¡F tê brhšy tifa‰w

       nfhiHna - v‹ Åu¥

ghY¡F tê brhšthŒ!!

v‹W fj¿dhŸ

       v©gij beU§»a ViH¡ »Hé.

br‹w§F¢ brU Kidæš

       Áj¿¡ »lªj

brªj䜡 fhisfis¥

       òu£o¥ gh®¤jhŸ - m§F

eªjäœ eh£il¡ fh¡f

       Xo‰W   u¤j btŸs«!

Ãz¡Féaèny bgU_¢R

       th§f elªjhŸ!

kz¥ gªjèY« mªj k»œ¢Áæšiy - kf‹

Ãwªj nghJ« k»œ¢Á¡F

       všiyÍ©L - mt‹

ÏwªJ »lªjh‹ <£o¡F kh®ò fh£o!

       Ïij¡ f©lhŸ - Ïja§ F뮪jhŸ!

``vij¡ f©lhY« Ïå¡ ftiy Ïšiy

       v‹ kf‹ ÅudhŒ Ïwªjh‹’’ v‹whŸ.

      mW¤bj¿a ÏUªnj‹

       mt‹ Fo¤j kh®ig - mllh!

fU¤bjça¥ bghŒ brh‹d fatbd§nf?

            thë§nf! mt‹ eh¡bf§nf?’’

“So I started competing with brother Vairamuthu even then”, Kalaignar said amidst applause and laugher.
Referring to the author’s preface that he wished like Pudumaipithan that his creative writings should remain forever, Kalaignar told him that all his writings would stand the test of times for generations. Vairamuthu’s short stories, like his other writings, would survive the test of time, he added. Though his writings did not bother about results, Kalaignar said he wished that  Vairamuthu’s writings should produce good results.
 Actor Kamal Hassan, who received the first copy, said short story could not be confined to a particular form and it would gradually take shape depending on the creativity of the writer.
To Vairamuthu’s reaction to those who had complained that his short stories had the elements of poetry, Kamal Hassan said opinion could differ on the form of short stories.
 Vairamuthu advocated holding of literary reading classes in schools and colleges. Prof Parveen Sultana also spoke.

Kalaignar assails Centre’s ploy to privatise ports

DMK President Kalaignar M. Karunanidhi took exception to the Centre’s proposal to enact Major Port Authority Act, saying it was only a ploy to privatise all the 12 ports, including Chennai Port, in the country.
In a statement, he recalled his statement on Oct 3 on Chennai port and the hampering of Pot-Maduravoyal elevated expressway. He had said the suspension of the Chennai Port-Maduravoyal elevated corridor project had given room for suspicion that it had been done to benefit the private harbour in Krishnapattinam and a new harbour conceived by Adani group in Kattupalli. The intrigue involved in bringing down public sector units to aid a few individuals will come to light in a few days.
The declining business in Chennai Port, which is the second largest port in the country , was due to traffic chaos.“It takes several days for the cargo to reach Chennai Port. In fact, DMK government launched the elevated corridor project to set right this problem, he had said pointing to diversion of business to Krishnapatnam and Ennore ports. Chennai Port handled 61.4 million tonnes of cargo in the year 2010-11 that saw a decline in the subsequent years” he had said.
As if proving what he had said according to the recent report the Centre, in a bid to privatise 12 major ports, had decided to remove them from the purview of Major Port Trusts Act. Port workers see this as a beginning of an indirect move by the Centre to privatise the ports.
Stating that all the major ports, including the Chennai Port, had been governed under the Major Port Trusts Act, 1963, he said the Centre was trying to privatise these ports. Recalling the indefinite strike launched by the port trust workers across the country in protest against the BJP-led NDA Government’s move to privatise the ports, Kalaignar said the Centre, in a bid to privatise the ports, has decided to change the Major Port Trusts Act, 1963 as Major Port Authority Act.
‘’If it was changed, all the 12 major ports in the country including the Chennai port will come under the direct control of the Central government, which in turn will easily lead to privatisation of ports in a phased manner’’, the DMK President said.
Pointing out that various trade unions have opposed this move, he said the Centre was trying to broker peace with the representatives of the trade unions. Condemning the Centre’s move, he said ‘’It will be better for the Union Government not to encourage weakening of the democratic and socialist infrastructure, instead of strengthening it. “The government may not be interested in strengthening the democratic-socialist structure of the country. But it should not take any steps that will weaken it,” he said.

Kalaignar slams Modi’s silence on writers returning awards

DMK President Kalaignar M. Karunanidhi on Oct 13 said it was highly condemnable that neither Prime Minister Narendra Modi nor the Centre had come out with an explanation even after so many writers across the country returned their Sahitya Akademi awards to express their protest against the killing of Kannada writer M.M. Kulburgi.  Assailing the attacks on freedom of expression and the long cherished and preserved cultural diversity of India, Kalaignar said the indifference of those wielding power to prevent them is not only injustice but will also amount to a black chapter in history.
In a statement on Oct 13, Kalaignar said on learning that Sahitya Akademi awarded Kannada writer M.M. Kalburgi was shot dead by some fanatics in August last he had condemned the attack on freedom of expression.
The Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh announced compensation of Rs. 45 lakhs to the family of senior citizen Akhlaq who was beaten to death by a mob for allegedly cooking and consuming beef in Dadri village. Condemning the killings of writer M.K.Kalburgi, social activist and rationalist propagandists Govind Basasare and Narendra Dabholkar, the sister of India’s first Prime Minister and first woman President of the UN General Assembly Vijyalakshmi Pandit’s daughter and famous writer Nayantara Sahgal on Oct 6 returned the Sahitya Akademi Award presented to her in 1986 for her English novel “Rich like us’ in protest against what she called the vanishing space and against unleashing of violence against those expressing contradictory views. Referring to the recent killings of rationalists and writers M.M. Kalburgi, Narendra Dabholkar and Govind Pansare and of Dadri resident Mohammad Akhlaq, who was lynched on suspicion of consuming beef, Sahgal said: “…in this rising tide of hatred, India is being unmade, being destroyed.”  Ms. Sahgal said she was concerned at the environment in the country and it seemed to be getting “worse and worse” in the past 15 months. She criticised the government’s inaction and Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s silence. “In all these cases, justice drags its feet. The Prime Minister remains silent on this reign of terror. We must assume he dare not alienate evil-doers who support his ideology,” she said.
Following Nayantara, former chairman of Lalit Kala Academy and poet Ashok Vajpeyi returned Sahitya Academi award accusing Prime Minister Narendra Modi maintaining silence on the killings of rationalists and Dadri incident and the Akademi failing to protest for defending the freedom of writers.
Following them noted woman writer Shashi Deshpande resigned from the Sahitya Akademi General Council, saying she is “deeply distressed by the silence of the Akademi on the murder of Professor M M Kalburgi”.
Urdu novelist Rahman Abbas returned the Maharashtra State Urdu Sahitya Akademy Award as a mark of protest against the Dadri lynching incident.
Following writers Chandrasekara Patil, Uday Prakash, Nayantara Shahgal, poet Ashok Vajpeyi and Urdu novelist Rahman Abbas, noted Malayalam novelist Sarah Joseph said she has decided to return her Kendra Sahitya Academy award and cash prize of Rs.50,000 in protest against the ‘terror-like’ situation prevailing in the country. She had bagged the academy award in 2003 for her novel Aalahayude Penmakkal (Daughters of God, the father). Moreover, in line with three eminent writers from Punjab, Gurbachan Bhullar, Ajmer Singh Aulakh and Atamjit Singh,  Gujarat-based literary critic and author Ganesh N. Devy, Aman Sethi,
The latest string of protests took to 15 the number of writers who have returned their awards to the Akademi since Hindi writer Uday Prakash first did so last month over the killing of Kalburgi. Also, Kannada author Aravind Malagatti submitted his resignation from the Akademi’s General Council. Those who returned their awards included Hindi poets Mangalesh Dabral and Rajesh Joshi; Vadodara-based Ganesh Devy; Konkani writer N Shivdas; Kannada writer Kum Veerabhadrappa; and Gurbachan Singh Bhullar, Ajmer Singh Aulakh, Atamjit Singh and Waryam Singh Sandhu from Punjab. This list keeps growing day by day.
Former Academi secretary and poet K. Satchidanandan announced his decision to resign his membership in all committees of the Akademi as the Akademi has ‘failed in its duty to stand with the writers and to uphold freedom of expression guaranteed by the Constitution’.
Subhash Chandran, who had won the Sahitya Akademi award last year for his novel Manushyanu Oru Aamukham, told a TV channel that he was also thinking in terms of returning the award and would take a decision in a day or two. Short story writer P.K. Parakkadavu, member of the Sahitya Akademi General Council, said he is resigning his membership in the council with immediate effect.
Booker winner Salman Rushdie has supported writers who have returned their Sahitya Akademi awards in protest, claiming “alarming times for free expression in India”. Sixteen Sahitya Akademi award winning Tamil writers have condemned the Akademi for not adequately condemning the killing of Kannada writer M.K. Kalburgi and its failure to bring pressure on the Centre to protect freedom of expression. They are Indira Parthasarathy, K. Rajanarayanan, Ponneelan, Prabanchan, Ashokamitran, Thoppil Mohamed Meeran, ‘Kavikko’ Abdul Rahman, Vairamuthu, Erode Tamilanban, Mu. Metha, Melanmai Ponnusamy, Puviarasu, Nanjil Nadan, Su. Venkatesan, D. Selvaraj and Poomani.
“It is regrettable and condemnable that even after so many developments, there was no clarification or response statement from Prime Minister Modi or the Centre. Without thinking that there is no connection between politics and protection of freedom of expression, the Centre should conduct with the view that defence of freedom of expression is only democratic concept. It seems the administration of Sahitya Akademi believes that it would be embarrassing for the Centre if any opinion is expressed on the return of awards. However there are reports today that the emergency meeting of Sahitya Akademi would be held on 23rd. Though it was widely believed when the BJP assumed power at the Centre that they would keep away from their old Hidutva path, on witnessing the recent incidents and actions, it is very obvious for neutral people that those in responsible positions are keeping mum and indifferent even at times when they had to react. The attacks on freedom of expression and diversity of culture and the indifference of those wielding power to prevent them is not only injustice but will also amount to a black chapter in history”, Kalaignar said.

Ever-rest Chief Minister, Ever-mute Media in TN!

All dailies in Tamil Nadu on Oct 15 published extensive and detailed reports on the arrival of Chief Minister Jayalalitha at her Kodanad Estate mansion for a sojourn for ‘few weeks’ to a ‘tumultuous’ welcome accorded by her party rank and file and officers of the government, as if she had come for some busy official schedule for making the State numero uno in the nation. For instance, the daily ‘Deccan Chronicle’ published the following report on the first page with photograph under the heading “Cheery Kodanad welcome for Jayalalitha”, as if this was the most important event for the people of the State/ country.
“The hills turned vibrant, lively, cheerful and enthusiastic as the public and ADMK party cadres accorded a rousing reception to the Chief Minister and their party supremo Jayalalitha who arrived at Kodanad in Nilgiris district on Wednesday afternoon. The Kodanad slopes wore a festive look with smiling faces and enthusiastic public and party cadres turning up in large numbers to welcome the Chief Minister as one could see people flocking to the area right from early morning. The traditional dances and music performed by the Badaga community people and Kota and Toda tribes along the Kodanad road and the staging of Kerala’s ‘chendamelam’ surcharged the atmosphere that exhibited how enthusiastic the people and party cadres were in according a cheerful welcome to the Chief Minister and to greet their leader. While public and party cadres lined along the Kodanad road raised slogans in praise of ‘Amma’ when her convoy arrived from the nearby helipad, party men and public gathered there threw flower petals to welcome their leader as her convoy moved. The Chief Minister was seen cheerfully waving back to crowd. K.R. Arjunan, Rajya Sabha MP and secretary of the ADMK in Nilgiris, C. Gopalakrishnan, MP of Nilgiris, S.Kalaiselvan, chairman of Thadco were among those who presented bouquets to the CM”. (The word ‘public’ in this report should be replaced with the words ‘hired people’ because that is how they organise crowds for her programmes.)
Almost similar reports had appeared in all dailies. If not the media barons and her fans in the media, the common people will only wonder why so much hullabaloo for the arrival of the Chief Minister of the State, who claims to be the ‘first servant’ of people, as though the executive President of another nation had arrived! Much more, she has not come for any official purpose but for taking rest for ‘few weeks’.
In the whole world, it will be only this outfit of Jayalalitha for which her ‘visit’ to her party office and visits for her rest are occasion of ostentatious celebrations with arches, banners music and dance events. They had spread red carpet for the vehicle of Jayalalitha to pass through and strewn flowers over the vehicle. Such receptions would not have been accorded even to queens and princes in kingdoms.
What were the busy schedules she had had in the last two or three months necessitating rest for a few weeks? Except for the meeting with Prime Minister Narendra Modi, she did not give appointment for anybody for meeting her in her Poes Garden residence. Once in a week she used to ‘visit’ the secretariat for less than an hour when some buildings/projects were inaugurated by her though video conference facility. Even for declaring open buildings which are a few km away from her residence, that too on her way to the secretariat, like the medical college buildings in Government Estates on Anna Salai, she was not ‘strained’ to get down from her vehicle and walk a few steps. And the scores of such inaugurations on a single day were released to the media one by one for several days and the servile media would also extensively publish them trying to give false impression to the people as if she was very active.
The Assembly session was held for few weeks when she would come to the House when Question Hour was midway and as soon as she arrived all other business would be stopped and she would read out some announcements under rule no 110 followed by lauding speeches of her minion ministers and alliance party sycophants. All these shows would be over within an hour and she would leave the House. For all these she was called by people ‘one hour Chief Minister’.
As she grew tired of resting in her Poes Garden residence, she went to her Siruthavur bungalow for taking rest for about 10 days. As the ‘rest’ in that bungalow was overtaxing and tiring she has now decided to take ‘rest’ for few weeks in her Kodanad Estate mansion, away from the hurly-burly in Chennai. Now the Ministers and officials will be flying to and from Kodanad and for getting her signatures in important files. In effect there will be two secretariats of the government for some weeks.
While all these are comprehensible for even unlettered lay persons, are they not for the so-called enlightened and well-informed media (persons)? But there is most bewildering abundance of digression in the media in truthfully reporting the affairs of and the happenings in the regime of Jayalalitha.
In contrast, there is more than enough curiosity in magnifying, misrepresenting and misinterpreting the happenings in opposition parties not sparing even very small outfits in their labour to present a picture of disarray and divisions in these parties. Now there are many 24x7 television news channels in Tamil which are conducting debates on political and social affairs. They would take up subjects relating to many States and the Centre and do not spare the ruling party at the Centre and even the Prime Minister at times. Very rarely they would take up the affairs of opposition parties at the national level. But when it comes to Tamil Nadu, invariably the affairs ruling dispensation and party are spared and only those of the opposition parties are taken up for unnecessary debates for dragging through mud and show in bad light.
Are there no problems for people and is this golden period rule in Tamil Nadu? While they show extraordinary enthusiasm in ‘investigating’ even the internal affairs of opposition parties and debating about them for hours and devoting pages to discredit them, the print and visual media conveniently closed their eyes and ears to all the frauds on people committed by the ADMK regime. The Chief Minister has made 184 announcements under rule 110 in the Assembly which were given wide publicity by the media. Have they ever attempted to verify how many of them were really implemented? They have all the means to verify the claims of investments said to have been attracted by this regime, but they are willingly playing second fiddle to all these hoax committed by the regime.  
The media is said to be opinion makers. Responsible political leaders sometimes have more influence than the media, primarily because leaders are seen as trustworthy and non-purposive. People are more inclined to accept a political message from someone they know, rather than the media, who they now feel is attempting to manipulate them. Moreover, they learn more by experience than by reading newspapers and viewing perverted debates on TV channels.
If the media in the State do not report drinking water scarcity or power cut problem or price rise or unemployment problem, are the people not aware of those issues? If the media keep approving and applauding the regime and the ruling dispensation, do not the people know that right from the Chief Minister to the ADMK ministers, ruling party M.Ps, MLAs down to councilors are inaccessible without money and do not attend to their problems?
In history, dictators and tyrants were thrown out by people by their own experience. In recent history, though the media was muzzled with censorship during the Emergency in 1975-76 the people threw out the regime. Now in Tamil Nadu with the self-imposed censorship of the media, it is certain that the people of the State will throw out the ADMK regime and give permanent rest for its Chief Minister!   r