Award/Reward, etc

                                                            (Poet Pallavi Nayak, sitting first from the left)

This year, Anandpur Lekhak Samabaya Samiti, constituting with fourteen literary organizations of the Sub Division, felicitated young poet Pallavi Nayak in its annual function. I have read Pallavi’s poems and I liked the poems. I have  come across her poems in the literary page of daily newspapers and magazines during last two or two and half years only. She is yet to publish her first book of poems.

Recently, C. Radhakrisnan of Malayalam literature had come to Katha annual function. He told about his writing. He wrote a novel when he was only 17. After he finished his novel he did not know what to do with the novel or how to publish it. He came across an advertisement. Matrubhoomi had invited novels for a competition. He sent his novel to Matrubhoomi. After one year the result of the competition came out and his novel was adjudged first. The novel was serially published in the magazine, which gave him name, money and also pleasure. Subsequently, the novel was published as a book and the book also won him Kerala Sahitya Academy award.

Radhakrisnan has won Moortidevi award and has lived a life of a writer. He says what he is today he is because of his first novel and the rewards he won for it. There are many instances when a writer’s first book has won him/her awards. Ruskin Bond had also written a novel at 17. That is, the Room on the Roof that won him an international award. Jhumpa Lahiri’s first book, Interpreter of Maladies had won the prestigious Pulitzer Prize.

But this is not the tradition in Odisha. Young writers are normally ignored. Something other than merit is sometimes considered for an award. Achyutananda Pati, the eminent writer was awarded Sarala Samman in 2013 when he was  87. His first story was published in 1952 in Asanta Kali, the reputed magazine of the time, so the award cane to him after 61 years of his first story published. In reaction to the award he said, I should first thank the Yamaraj who had not taken my life and allowed me to live to receive this award.

Anadapur Lekhak Samabaya Samiti’s gesture is an exception and what I know, perhaps, first of its kind. It’s definitely a welcome move and I hope, they will continue with this and create a tradition of felicitating the young and the worthy.  The felicitation will, no doubt, encourage Pallavi in her literary pursuits.

Awards given to writers often land in controversy. It is alleged that awards are not given to the right person or the right book, something other than merit is considered by the members of the jury deciding the award. A few years back there was much controversy over Kendra Sahitya Akedemy award given to an Odia novelist and a case was also filed in the High Court. Wrong selection for the award does more disservice to literature than any good. The Kendra Sahitya Akedemy award winning books are translated into other languages. A person of the other language when will read the book as an award winning novel and finds it not worth reading he would think reading the book a waste of time and money. That gives a bad impression of the literature of the language which the award winning book represents.

Now it is said, young people have no interest in literature. This is a myth. The number of Chetan Bhagat’s book or Arundhoti Roy’s The God of Small Things sold in Odisha is more than any Odia book. The fact is that interest in literature in young people has not diminished, but Odia books do not sell. The reason given is that parents now send their children to English medium schools and the boys/girls forget Odia. That is also another myth. One will find many old people who have mastered Bengli or Hindi to read literature in those languages. The mother tongue or the language they speak in their families is Odia. If a person can master Bengli or Hindi which is not their mother tongue to read literature, a boy or girl who speaks Odia in his/her family, though taught in English medium, can’t learn Odia to read Odia literature?

Here I would like to narrate an anecdote. A few years back a computer professional was working in our department. He is a Bengli and a lover of literature. When he learnt I was a writer, he was very happy to work with me. He requested me to give him one of my books. I gave him one novel. During his stay here in Odisha he learnt Odia and read the book. Last time, one year back he talked to me and said sometimes when he came across an Odia magazine he bought it to read the stories.

A book lover normally is tempted to buy the book which has won an award or the books of the author who has won awards. If the award is given to the wrong person or to the wrong book, the reader feels cheated and gets disappointed. He will lose interest in literature. Awards should be given to the right person, to the right book and also at the right time.

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