THOOTHUKUDI: Chief Minister MK Stalin inaugurated a memorial for legendary "Karisal" writer Ki Ra at Kovilpatti on Friday through videoconferencing from Chennai in the presence of Information Minister M P Saminathan, parliamentarian Kanimozhi Karunanidhi, and Chief Secretary V Iraianbu, among others.
The memorial for Ki Rajanarayanan, also known as Ki Ra, was constructed at a cost of Rs 1.5 crore over a 200 sqmt area in Kovilpatti on behalf of the Tamil development and information department. It comprises a life-size statue of the writer, a library, an admin office, a digital library and an exhibition hall. Ki Ra's cot, wooden chair, and desk have also been displayed at the memorial, besides steps are being taken to stock all his books in the library as well as in the digital library.
In memory of Ki Ra, the State government had earlier revamped his alma mater Idaiseval panchayat union middle school at a cost of Rs 25 lakh, using materials such as limestone, river sand, karupatti, kadukkai and egg mix, so as not to alter its archaic grandeur and the Chief Minister inaugurated revamped school on October 11.
Ki Ra was born in Thoothukudi's Idaiseval village near Kovilpatti on September 16, 1922, and died on May 17, 2021. He was the face of the Kovilpatti Karisal Kattu literature for over half a century, as his short stories, rural folklore tales, novels and articles highlighted the culture and livelihood of the people belonging to the Karisal region. The word 'Karisal' refers to the black soil region in the south-central part of Tamil Nadu. He was awarded the Sahitya Akademi for his work on "Goballapurathu Makkal" in 1991, and was a recipient of several famous awards.
During the memorial inauguration on Friday, social welfare and women empowerment minister Geetha Jeevan, MLA Markandeyan, collector Dr K Senthil Raj and other officials were present at the site. "This is the first time that a Tamil Nadu government has constructed a memorial to honour a writer. As Kovilpatti has been home to several famous writers and Sahitya Akademi award recipients, district-level book fairs will be organised here in the coming years," Geetha Jeevan told press persons on the occasion.
Welcoming the State government's efforts to honour the writer, Ki Ra's granddaughter Amsa said dedicating a memorial for a writer is a milestone for the literary world. "The memorial has been designed excellently. During the rule of kings, poets were honoured with gifts. With the government now dedicating a memorial for a writer, it takes the legacy of Tamil literature one step forward," she said.