THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Chief Minister V D Satheesan on Wednesday presented the 22nd Kesavadev Literary awards instituted by the P Kesavadev Trust in Thiruvananthapuram. Subhash Chandran received the P Kesavadev Literary Award while Dr Thankam Subrahmanyan received the DiabScreen Kerala Award.
Describing P Kesavadev as a writer who consistently stood with the marginalised people and challenged unjust social systems, Satheesan said the author devoted his life to questioning regressive practices and speaking up for the common people.
He noted that the writer’s autobiography, ‘Ethirppu’, reflected his lifelong commitment to resisting injustice and challenging social norms.
The chief minister said that while autobiographies often gloss over unpleasant experiences or embellish certain aspects, Kesavadev remained true to the title of his autobiography by voicing his resistance to entrenched social practices.
Satheesan also said he was an admirer of Subhash Chandran and described him as possessing one of the finest literary styles Malayalam has seen after M T Vasudevan Nair. He also described Thankam as an inspiration to humanity for donating one of her kidneys to a complete stranger, calling the act a rare example of selflessness.