Stalin unveils TN literary awards for seven non-Hindi languages
Stalin unveils TN literary awards for seven non-Hindi languages
Tamil Nadu chief minister announces Semmozhi Illakiya Virudhu, a ₹5 lakh prize for seven languages, and criticizes Centre over Sahitya Akademi decisions.
In a bid to boost regional literature, Chief Minister M K Stalin announced a new state-level literary award during the valedictory of the Chennai International Book Fair 2026. The award, named Semmozhi Illakiya Virudhu, will carry ₹5 lakh for each language and will honor the best works in seven Indian languages.
In the first phase, awards will be given for Tamil, Telugu, Kannada, Malayalam, Odia, Bengali, and Marathi. The Tamil Nadu government will act as patron, with independent experts handling the selection process to ensure fairness.
Stalin used the moment to criticise what he described as political interference in national awards, pointing to the Sahitya Akademi awards announcement being cancelled and calling such meddling dangerous for art and literature.
Several writers and representatives of literary bodies have approached him for a constructive response, and he said the government is ready with plans to recognize and promote regional writing on a national stage.
Speaking at the event, Stalin said the new awards will be an annual feature and emphasized that this move reflects Tamil Nadu's commitment to languages beyond Hindi. The government will oversee the process while experts decide the winners, in a bid to give regional writers a larger platform at the national level, starting at the Chennai International Book Fair 2026.
