‘Sethu’s works marked the lives of an era’
TNN / Jan 22, 2023, 08:44 (IST)
Sethu is a Malayalam writer who wrote about conflicts in society and the individual. He won the top literary award in Kerala, the Ezhuthachan Award, on Saturday. The chief minister of Kerala, Pinarayi Vijayan, spoke after presenting the award. Sethu's works, like Kiratham Nananja Mannu Pandavapuram, Ariyatha Vazhikal Niyogam, and Adayalangal, reflect the minds of individuals and the society as a whole. The CM said that Pandavapuram is being considered as a classic, and that Sethu's novels like Pennakangal, which recreate the women characters in old novels, are exceptional due to their treatment of the subject. Vijayan said that Ezhuthachan revived Malayalam language and used literature as a tool to spread messages against social inequalities. The motive for Ezhuthachan to write Ramayana was not to create an individual icon, but to highlight certain values. Sethu said that he dedicates the award to his mother and the public library at Chendamangalam. He said that major languages are suppressing minor ones, and that if languages are suppressed, we will miss cultural values