more-in Tamilar Desiya Munnani president Pazha Nedumaran on Saturday said that rural dialects and folk tales should never be disregarded and the youth should understand their significance. Participating in his 95th birthday celebrations of renowned Tamil writer Ki Rajanarayanan at the Pondicherry University convention centre here, he said that rural dialects and folk tradition were very important as they formed the basis of development of Tamil literature. Mr. Nedumaran paid rich encomiums to Ki Rajanarayanan for his contributions to karisal kattu (dryland) literature. Mr. Rajanarayanan was a fearless writer and his words carried the same weight and import as what one could see in the writings of Irish playwright and Nobel laureate George Bernard Shaw. ‘Fearless writer’ Mr. Rajanarayanan has been carrying on his work without fear and his writings would eternally impact the society and its thinking. He continues to command respect among the public because of his literary greatness. This gathering is a proof of what a profound thinker like Mr. Rajanarayanan could command, Mr. Nedumaran said. Communist Party of India leader R. Nallakannu pointed out that Mr. Rajanarayanan was a man of self-assurance and had surmounted several challenges and obstacles to come up in life. The accent of one region may be different from another but the commitment on the part of the writer propagating the local accent and phonetics would always be held in high esteem. Tamil writer Nanjil Nadan felt sorry that doctorates had now become a purchasable commodity and was available for ?3 lakh. He said that Mr. Rajanarayanan had shown his skill and linguistic capability through his writings. However, his literary works are most difficult to translate and have not got the kind of reach in the west, he said. Writer Tamilachi Thangapandian, actor Sivakumar, advocate Radhakrishnan and others spoke about Mr. Rajanarayanan’s contribution to Tamil literature.

Stay updated with all the Latest Puducherry headlines here. For more exclusive & live news updates from all around India, stay connected with NYOOOZ.