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Gleanings:
Gnanam attempts to document contemporary Lankan Thamil Literature
K. S. Sivakumaran
Originally published in Senkadagala and now being published in
Colombo is a semi-literary monthly journal called Gnanam.
Its editors, a couple, have part of their names as “Gnanam”. The
chief man is T. Gnanasekera Iyer. He is a qualified physician working in
a hillcountry plantation area. But he is interested in literature too as
he holds BA degree with Thamil. He and his wife had authored a few books
in Thamil which have awards. Critics in Thamil locally consider T.
Gnanasekeran Iyer as an important writer and critic.
According to the writer his books are subject of critical studies by
students in Thamilnadu. Since 2000 he is publishing this journal which
is appreciated by partisan readers, writers and critics in the same way
other literary local journals are appreciated by the respective
readership.
Gnanasekeran has not been writing fiction for sometime as he is
involved in several projects of publication, conducting com petitions
and encouraging and finding many young writers, associating him with the
Memon philanthropist Hashim Omar’s free publication of unpublished work
by not so widely known writers in the country.
Last Saturday- September 06, 2008 - the 100th issue of his much
publicised Journal was released with pomp and platitudes at the Kolumbu
Thamil Sangam in Wellawatta. Strangely the editor of a rival journal,
Mallikai, Dominic Jeeva was also seen speaking high of the editors even
if he focused more on his own adventures in the past leading a hard life
in Yaalpaanam.
Due to lack of time to read quickly these articles and other items at
leisure, I merely turned the pages to decipher what the journal
contained.
The editors acknowledge the funding for the journal from three in
Senkadagala and two business people in Colombo. The journal has
contributions under the following headings: Essays, Poems, Play and
Short stories.
The editors have tried to get important writers to write at least
briefly on some aspects of Lankan writing in Thamil. Such writers
include evidently academics and writers who are considered by the
editors as competent and authoritaive critics.
Perhaps you would like to know who the academics who have written to
the 100 th issue of Gnanam? They are:
K.Sivathamby, S.Yogarasa, K.Arunachalam, K.Gunarasa,Thurai Maboharan,
N. Subramaniam, S. Sutharsan, A. Sanmugadas, Chitraleka Maunaguru,.
Rupavathanan, M.A. Nuhman, S.Maunaguru, Manonmani Sanmugadas,Uma
Gayathri Thiyagarajan, F.M. Fazmila, Shri Prasanthan, Mullaimani, and
Saba Jeyarasa.
The other ‘critics ‘(usually described as “Vimarsakarkal” by the
editors as opposed to “Thiran Aaivalarhal”) include the following:
M. Ponnambalam, Theliwatte Joseph, Badulla Senathirajah, A. Iqbal, G.
Balacndran, K. Sarveswaran, K. Guneswaran, N. Selvarajah,
L.Murugapoopathy, A. Muttulingam, Pathma Somakanthan, Anbumani, S.
Sakthitharan, Annaladchumy Rasadurai, Kanthiah Shanmugalingam, Sitpi,
Thevarajah Jegan, S. Sriskandarajah, Kuramagal, M. P. Mahalingasivam,
Anthony Jeeva, and Perumal Saravanakumar.
All articles are on Lankan Literature. The topics are: An
Introduction to Lankan Literature, poetry, short story, novel, literary
criticism, concepts, M. Thalayasingam as a critic, literary studies,
literary history, women literature, progressive thought, Dalith
literature, poetic plays, plays, Haiku poems, column writing, poems for
children, literary magazines, anthologies of new literature, rural
flavour novels, hillcountry literature new trends and future of
hillcountry short stories, new literatures by the Muslims, Thamil
dictionaries, Keerthanai litrature, Thamli computing, regional influence
in expatriate literature, worldwide literary search by Lankan
expatriates, Thamil literature in Australia, Teachers and Pupils,
Towards women’s world views, Vasanthan Padalgal in Madakkalappu
Gnanasekeran’s novel, The old world in the women education in Yaalpaanam,
Immanuel Valestrine’s concept, Sambodu Ramanuja, Creation reading and
politics, Will Thamil disappear in 100 years? Be strong and courageous,
Women education tradition in Puloly, Unwritten history of Thamil Drama
in Kolumbu, Gnanam in Literary Journalism.
There are 33 poems, a play and 16 short stories in the journal. One
could find interesting reading fare in this issue. Students of Thamil
literature can gather some facts, even if some articles are not
comprehensive in search and presentation.
Whatever said, the editors deserve to be thanked for the compilation
done with the assistance of Sutharsan of the Peradeniya University,
which fact was announced at the launch. The launching ceremony had
people who matter speaking on the occasion.
[email protected]
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