CHENNAI: Reiterating his government's commitment to acknowledging and rewarding literary personalities, Chief Minister MK Stalin on Friday said that authors must be celebrated in their lifetime, and only such a society will flourish.

Speaking at the "Muthamizh Arignar Kalaignar Centenary Conference" organised jointly by Sahitya Akademi and the Tamil Department of Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) at Kalaivaar Arangam in the city, Stalin referred to the implementation of the Kalaignar Dream House scheme for eminent literary personalities and said that as many as 15 scholars have been provided dream houses in the State so far.

"If the prize money is Rs 1 lakh, the value of the dream house allocated to them is Rs 1 crore. Even the stamp duty of the dream house is borne by the Tamil Nadu government," the Chief Minister said, and added that another 10 have been provided dream houses by extending the scheme to those who won Sahitya Akademi awards for translation.

Claiming that such a scheme was not implemented in any other state, Stalin said, "The sole intention of the scheme is to celebrate the authors in their lifetime. Only a society that celebrates authors can be termed an evolved society. Tamil society has never failed to celebrate authors who worked for the development and social liberation of the people, rationalism and progress of the society."

JNU V-C hails Karunanidhi’s contributions

Delivering her address at the conference, an otherwise controversial personality known for her daring remarks, vice-chancellor of Jawaharlal Nehru University, Santishree Dhulipudi Pandit, showered encomium on former Chief Minister M Karunanidhi and said, "We are celebrating Kalaignar because he imbued his life with rhythm and indistinctive love for the Tamil language.

Centenary is not merely a moment to recall political timelines, but to understand how an individual was a greater influence on society, allowing him to shape language, literature, and cinema, and thereby the collective consciousness. He made ideas of reform, rationalism and justice accessible to millions."

Describing Karunanidhi's early engagement in the anti-Hindi agitation in the 1930s as his first ideological battle, Santishree said, "He (Karunanidhi) used films not as entertainment, but as cultural pedagogue, introducing ideas of inter caste marriage, temple reform, atheism and egalitarianism."

Recalling Karunanidhi's opposition to the Emergency, the JNU VC said, "Karunanidhi was a great symbol of freedom and protecting the Constitution, which is remembered beyond party lines. Even those who disagreed with him politically conceded his place in reshaping modern Tamil Nadu's intellectual and cultural landscape.

"Despite controversies and criticisms, Kalaignar's personal commitment to secularism, rationalism and social reform can never be questioned. He championed causes not merely for electoral gains, but substantial truths, seen in his decision to support temple entry for marginalised causes, women's reservation," he added.