KOCHI: The war of words between veteran lyricist Sreekumaran Thampi and Kerala Sahitya Akademi president K Satchidanandan was reignited on Sunday after the latter said he was taking up the burden of someone else’s sin though he had no role in rejecting the “renowned songwriter’s” ‘Kerala Ganam’.
“To take up the responsibility of someone’s mistake, or those considered as mistakes, as one’s own cross is a great deed...this is what Zen Buddhism and Bible have taught me,” said Satchidanandan, in a Facebook post.
Satchidanandan, considered a pioneer in modern Malayalam poetry, however, did not name Thampi in the post, and instead referred to him as “renowned songwriter”.
Not someone to take slights lightly, Thampi took to Facebook soon, a day after he said he was ending the controversy. “We have got the answer to ‘who’s next after Christ as the symbol of sacrifice and sufferance. The role model for ‘great tasks’. For the time being, he is continuing his sacrifice as president of Kerala Sahitya Akademi. And me? A poor songwriter. In one word, a ‘cliche’!! But, there’s one relief.
The great Thunchath Ramanujan Ezhuthachan was also a songwriter. His most renowned work is ‘Adhyathmaramayanam Kilippattu’,” said his sarcastic post. The controversy was triggered last week when Thampi lashed out at the Kerala Sahitya Akademy for insulting him after his ‘Kerala Ganam’, which was to be adopted as the state’s official’s song, was rejected citing it was full of ‘cliched expressions’. Thampi said Satchidanandan was being vengeful. He also mocked the Akademy president by calling him a self-proclaimed ‘international poet’.
Thampi was invited to pen a composition for the government. Later, a committee, comprising esteemed poets and literary figures, decided not to endorse Thampi’s song. However, Thampi was not informed about the rejection of his song, angering the 83-year-old lyricist.
The committee, instead, chose a song written by B K Harinarayan. K Bijibal will compose the music for the song.