Thiruvananthapuram: Lyricist and director Sreekumaran Thambi against Sahitya Akademi
Sreekumaran Thambi alleged that he was insulted by being asked to write a Kerala song for the government.
K Satchidanandan and Academy Secretary Abu Bakar approached him asking him to write a Kerala song.
At first he said no, but he agreed under pressure. But both of them asked to rewrite the original song.
It was not known whether the corrected song was accepted or not. Sreekumaran Thambi wrote in a Facebook post that he saw an advertisement inviting Kerala songs from poets.
Post like this –
When I came to know about the experience of famous poet and speaker Balachandran Chullikad from Kerala Sahitya Academy, I remembered a bad experience from Kerala Sahitya Academy months ago.
Mr. Abu Bakar, the Academy Secretary, asked me to write a Kerala song for the Kerala Government to use anywhere and anytime.
At first I declined the invitation. Kerala Sahitya Akademi has not awarded any of my books till date. No award or fellowship is given for outstanding contribution. I didn't go after anyone asking for support.
That's why I have no special obligation or loyalty to the academy. That's why I decided to withdraw from this songwriting.
When Mr. Abubakar and Mr..Sachidanandan insisted again
In the name of common courtesy, I agreed. Abu Baker asked me.-“Who else but you? ” that .
Prathekam suggested that “the song should be in such a way that even a child of a small class can understand it”. So I simplified the writing style.
Within a week I wrote the song and sent it. “I'm not satisfied”
A message came from Abu Baker. I said “then you must spare me”. Satchidanandan sent me a message again. “You can write,” he said.
Just change the first lines (pallavi). Abu Baker said that the second part of the song is beautiful. I rewrote the refrain. After that a one word message came from Satchidanandan saying “Thank you”. Still don't know whether my song was accepted or rejected. No official notification has been received from the Academy either positive or negative. After a week, an advertisement appeared on private channels saying “Sahitya Akademi invites Kerala songs from poets”.
It means they rejected my song. Having written more than three thousand songs, I had to be humiliated in front of KC Abubakar, a prose poet. Our Culture Minister Comrade Saji Cheriani and the fans who love my songs have to answer this.
I will record this new Kerala song written by me at my own expense and upload it on YouTube soon for all the Malayalis in the world. That song will be the property of all Malayalees. I don't want copyright. Schools, cultural organizations and children can use the song as they like. As a writer who has written the most songs and poems about Kerala and the Malayalam language, this is all I can do.