Plaque carrying Hindi citation fails man of letters
NAGERCOIL: S Mohammed Yoosuf, better known as Kulachal Yoosuf, in every sense of the expression, is a man of letters. It was his service to literature that fetched him the 2018 Sahitya Akademi Prize for translating G R Indugopan’s Malayalam novel into Tamil as Thirudan Maniyan Pillai.
However, this time around, letters are failing him as the inscription on the award is in Hindi, a language he neither favours nor is familiar with. This is the reason for him urging the Akademi to inscribe on the citation the reasons his work was chosen for the honour in Tamil.
The 60-year-old received the award on June 14 last in Tripura. On Tuesday, he took to social media to urge the Akademi to consider his request for a Tamil inscription as he was unable to understand the citation. Responding to his request, the Akademi asked him to send a mail requesting the change.
Speaking to Express, Yoosuf said, “When I received the award, I was not even able to place where my name was inscribed. Neither I nor my close friends or relatives read Hindi. When I posted the photo of my award on social media, many wanted to know where my name was,” he said.
Yoosuf said all languages need recognition, but for an author from Tamil Nadu a citation in Tamil or English would be welcome. “My request does not have any political undertones, but only a wish that my friends and family get to read my name on the award.”