MADURAI: Jharkhand governor CP Radhakrishnan conferred Dinamani's 'Mahakavi Bharathiyar Award' to Y Manikandan for his contribution and research about Tamil poet Bharathiyar and his works. Justice GR Swaminathan of Madras High Court and Dinamani Editor K Vaidiyanathan were present during the event.
Addressing the event, Radhakrishnan said the differences between Congress leader K Kamaraj and Muthuramalinga Thevar were not due to disagreements between them, but Muthuramalinga Thevar's difference with the then Congress leader Jawaharlal Nehru.
"Despite doing a lot of welfare for the state, Kamaraj lost just because he was not promoting his work. Annadurai changed the state name from Madras to Tamil Nadu, similar to how Narendra Modi attempted to change the name from India to Bharath. There were only three Mahakavis, of which Tamil poet Bharathiyar was one among them," he said, adding that communism failed long ago as the principle of giving the same wages for all was not proper.
The recipient of the award, Y Manikandan, brushing aside a few theories that Bharathiyar was not recognized and celebrated during his period, said an Englishman, in 1908, mentioned Bharathiyar as 'Tamil poet in India'.
"James H Cousins mentioned him as one of the four poets in India. Madhurakavi Bhasakara Das in 1921 identified Bharathiyar as one of the two poets of India. This shows he was celebrated and recognized in his living period. Bharathiyar wanted Tamil University in the beginning of 1900 but his dream was not narrowed on literature. He wanted sciences and other branches, where all works must be in Tamil," he added.
Senior vice president (marketing) of The New Indian Express group J Vigneshkumar, president of Madurai Kalluri Variyam Shankara Sitharaman and former vice chancellor of Tamil University Thirumalai were present during the event.