Speaking at the valedictory ceremony of the Chennai International Book Fair (CIBF) 2026 held at Kalaivanar Arangam on Sunday, Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M.K. Stalin emphasized, “Political interference even in arts and literary awards is a dangerous trend.” The event was graced by the Chief Minister alongside the acclaimed Booker Prize-winning Kannada author, Banu Mushtaq.
During his address, Chief Minister Stalin stated, “Books are the tools through which humankind passes its thoughts and accumulated wealth of knowledge to others and future generations. Under our ‘Dravidian Model’ government, we are taking numerous initiatives to ensure that the spark of knowledge spreads to every household in Tamil Nadu through reading. These book fairs serve as a vital bridge connecting writers, publishers, sellers, and readers.”
Addressing a major concern of the literary community regarding challenges to freedom of expression and the Union Government’s recent actions, the Chief Minister made a significant and welcoming announcement.
“The announcement of the Sahitya Akademi Awards for 2025 was canceled due to the interference of the Union Ministry of Culture, even after the winners were finalized. It remains uncertain if it will happen at all. Political interference in literary awards is dangerous. Given this situation, many writers and literary organizations urged the Tamil Nadu Government to provide a constructive and fitting response. We recognize this as a necessity of the times,” he said.
In a move that resonated across the country, he announced:
“To celebrate excellence in literature, the Government of Tamil Nadu will henceforth present national-level awards annually for outstanding literary works published in specific Indian languages. In the first phase, the ‘Classical Language Literary Award’ (Semmozhi Ilakkiya Virudhu) will be presented to the best works in Tamil, Telugu, Kannada, Malayalam, Odia, Bengali, and Marathi. Each award will carry a prize money of Rs. 5 lakh.”
He further assured that to maintain literary standards and ensure a transparent selection process, independent committees comprising renowned writers and previous award winners would be formed for each language. “The Government of Tamil Nadu will proudly undertake this role of a patron,” he concluded, amidst thunderous applause that echoed far beyond the hall.
Readers can access the editorial regarding this subject, previously published in The Modern Rationalist, here: https://shorturl.at/C9Sg4
