HYDERABAD: Telangana reaped a rich harvest of Sahitya Akademi Awards 2021, which were announced on Thursday. Poet and TRS MLC Gorati Venkanna secured the much-coveted Sahitya Akademi Award for Vallankitaalam (poetry).
Thagulla Gopal received Yuva Puraskaram for Dandakadiyam (poetry) while Devaraju Maharaju bagged Bala Sahitya Puraskaram for Nenu Ante Evaru (play).
Both Venkanna and Gopal hail from the erstwhile Mahbubnagar district while Maharaju is from Bhongir. Thus, all the three awards announced for Telugu literature went to Telangana writers.
“When an ordinary buffalo which is fed a modest amount of grass gives five litres of milk a day, a farmer is delighted. Similarly, when a parched piece of land gets abundant water leading to heaps of harvested paddy, a farmer’s joy knows no bounds,” Venkanna said reacting to the honour bestowed on him. “I am very happy to receive the highest award,” Venkanna, who leads a spartan life, added.
Venkanna, who participated in the separate Telangana movement, has inspired several youth and adults with his songs and dances. “Telangana Tangedu flower and Palapitta have a great reputation. Now, Telangana songs too have garnered recognition and honour. Salutations to the Telugu soil,” Venkanna said. He said that Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao had always respected poets and literature.
Poets follow their own dreams, says Venkanna
Asked whether he would give any message to young writers, Gorati Venkanna said: “Poets will think and walk on their own. Each writer will have his own dreams. Literature cannot be written by someone’s suggestions. I have no stature to give messages.” He said literature has no barriers and it would not condone inequalities.
Venkanna’s Vallankitaalam, a collection of poems and songs, speaks of the philosophy and the way of life of the Telangana people. It describes trees, birds, the Telangana soil and other aspects of the human lives. Venkanna is currently planning to bring out four to five books, including a novel. Speaking to Express, Venkanna said that his novel, which will be completed in the next two to three months, will deal with human conduct and the problems of weaker sections.
KCR congratulates
Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao conveyed his greetings to Gorati Venkanna for being honoured with the prestigious Sahitya Akademi Award. “Vallankitaalam winning the Sahitya Academy Award was worth hailing,” he said and lauded Venkanna for beautifully unveiling the umbilical relationship between human life and nature, relationship between man and other animals and birds.
“Venkanna has brought universal recognition for the simple and down-to-earth philosophy of Telanganite,” he said. He also congratulated writer Devaraju Maharaju and Gopal for winning the Sahitya Akademi awards. Rao expressed delight at three writers from the state receiving the awards. He said it showed the literary calibre of Telangana.
Flowers and fragrance
“Poosina poolaku dosiloggithe vaasigaa parimalamu vosagunuraa... kosi medalo vesukunte vaadi taadai migulunuraa...” (when you hold your two hands together as a cup before the flowers, which are in full bloom, they will produce good fragrance. If the same flowers were cut and adorned as a garland around your neck, they will fade away and only thread will remain....”)
From Gorati Venkanna’s Vallankitaalam