CHENNAI: The decision to confer the Jnanpith Award, the country’s most prestigious literary honour, on lyricist Vairamuthu has triggered an angry backlash from prominent personalities and various sections of the public. The criticism is rooted in the 2018 #MeToo movement in India, during which 17 women, including high-profile singer Chinmayi Sripaada, accused Vairamuthu of "sexual harassment and misconduct".
Even if a man is accused of sexual harassment by 17 women, he can still be hailed as a Kavignar or great poet as long as he has political clout. This is not an award for literature; it's a victory march for predator
- Charu Nivedita
Leading the charge was Jeyamohan, an influential figure in contemporary Tamil literature, who called him a "ridiculous film lyricist".
In a formal communication to the Jnanpith Committee, Jeyamohan expressed deep disdain for the recognition and dismissed the lyricist's literary credentials, asserting that the survival of a culture depends on its moral clarity and that technical proficiency in film songs does not equate to a contribution to the serious literary canon.
In his letter to the committee, Jeyamohan said, "Vairamuthu is neither a poet nor a writer; he is merely a ridiculous Tamil film lyricist. He plays no part at all in contemporary Tamil literature. I hereby express my deep disdain."
Honouring individuals who face credible accusations of misconduct, while lacking genuine literary merit, undermines the very community that such awards claim to celebrate, effectively terming the recognition a "stain" on the collective dignity of Tamil letters, he added.
Vairamuthu is neither a poet nor a writer… He plays no part at all in contemporary Tamil literature
– Lyricist Jeyamohan
Akazh magazine, a prominent voice for contemporary Tamil discourse, published a scathing editorial questioning the institutional mechanisms that allow such honours to bypass ethical scrutiny. It asserted that the silence of award committees in the face of public outcry reflects a deep-seated systemic apathy toward the safety and dignity of women in the creative arts. By providing a platform for this dissent, the publication underscored that the issue is no longer a private dispute but a public concern regarding the values that the Tamil literary world chooses to project to the global stage.
Postmodernist writer Charu Nivedita, known for his transgressive views, suggested that the continued patronage of the lyricist by political and cultural elites is a symptom of a broader malaise that prioritises proximity to power over ethical consistency.
"In our society, there is a strange logic that even if a man is accused of sexual harassment by 17 women, he can still be hailed as a Kavignar or great poet as long as he has political clout. This is not an award for literature; it's a victory march for predator," wrote Nivedita, in his website.
Award-winning writer Meena Kandasamy noted how playback singer Chinmayi Sripaada got shadow banned by the film industry for speaking up against Vairamuthu based on her personal experience and amplifying the voices of other women who raised the allegations against the lyricist, while the latter received the prestigious award.
What are you telling every woman who writes? That the establishment will close ranks. That talent is secondary to political utility and shameless lobbying
– Meena Kandasamy
“Tamil is a two-thousand-year-old literary tradition. If a man accused by 17 women gets such recognition, what is the message for women in literature? …the Jnanpith panel choose this moment, this man, to represent the language? What are you telling every woman who writes? That the establishment will close ranks. That talent is secondary to political utility and shameless lobbying,” she said in a social media post.
In a series of social media posts, Chinmayi questioned how a man named by multiple women across different age groups as a molester could continue to be celebrated by the State and literary bodies.
She also criticised the silence and support of industry veterans, including Kamal Haasan and Pawan Kalyan, stating that the elevation of such individuals serves to silence victims and reinforces a culture of impunity.
(With PTI inputs).