CHENNAI: After a year’s break, the Kavithai Uravu family found itself gathering under one roof again on Wednesday. This time around, there were a lot more people from much farther away making their presence felt, far more big names on the guest list, many more poems on the offer and hundreds more heartfelt wishes shared. For this event marked two milestones in their midst. Not only was it the 50th year of Kavithai Uravu Amaipu, it was the 75th birthday of its founder Ervadi Radhakrishnan, too. How could the festivities not match the gravitas of the double occasion?
Even as hundreds of patrons, subscribers, literary enthusiasts and emerging writers turned up to offer their best wishes and appreciation, there was no dearth of bigwigs from the world of art and politics. MP S Jagathrakshakan and Minister Ma Subramanian participated in the proceedings, with the minister even offering a few words on his association with Radhakrishnan and his magazine. He launched the Kavithai Uravukalanjiam, which was received by VG Santhosam. Author Erode Thamizhanban, poet Muthulingam, director SP Muthuraman, J Sadakkadulla, lyricist Viveka, Nalli Kuppusamy Chetty and writer Vanathi Ramanathan lent their presence to the proceedings too. Kavignar Thangam Moorthy presided the Kaviarangam that had poets Gangai Manimaran, Rasi Azhagappan, Brinda Sarathy, Annathurai, Tamizh Iyalan, Ganapathy Subramaniam, Aathiramullai and Guidyatham Kumanan conveying their wishes through verse.
The event also honoured the contributions of many writers and poets through Kavithai Uravu special awards. The recipients included Suprabalan, Kalaimamani Lena Thamizhvanan, writer A Vennila and Nannankudi Avvai. This was beyond the magazine’s annual recognition of the best works in Tamil literature. This year too, there were many debut writers and poets who made it to the list, keeping up the tradition of kickstarting a career from the pages of this magazine.
Despite being a literary event that kind of centred on one magazine and one man, the gathering always had room for some interesting discourse. The latest edition was witness to jubilation upon the release of Perarivalan, celebrating Tamil Nadu government’s aid to Sri Lanka in its time of distress, bringing back the debate around NEET and the governor’s role as chancellor of universities, Hindi imposition and much more. Not bad for a mid-May Wednesday evening.
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