இறைக்குத் தமிழ்நாட்டின் சமூக வாழ்க்கையின் முக்கியமான மூன்று இழைகள் அரசியல், சினிமா, மதம். அரசியல் என்றால் எவனும் அரசியல்வாதிகள், கட்சிகள், கொள்கைகள், கொடிகள் மட்டும் சம்பந்தப்பட்ட விஷயங்கள் என்பதில்லை. அதிகார வர்க்கம், மக்கள் தொடர்புச் சாதனங்கள், அரசியல்வாதிகளைப் பின்னிருந்து இயக்கும் பண முதலைகள் எல்லாம் இதில் அடக்கம்.
சினிமாவும் இதே போலத்தான், வெறுமே சூப்பர் ஸ்டார்களும் கவர்ச்சி நடிகைகளும் மட்டும் கொண்டதல்ல சினிமா. மக்களின் அபிப்பிராயங்களை, நடை, உடை, பாவனைகளை, கருத்துகளின் ரொம்பச் சுலபமாக மாற்றி அமைக்கக் கூடியது. சினிமாவின் தாக்கம் எப்படிப்பட்டது என்பதற்கு வேறு உதாரணமே வேண்டாம். இந்த நாற்றாண்டில் தமிழகத்தில் இரண்டு துருவங்களாக செய
Sa. Kandasamy (23 July 1940 – 31 July 2020) was a novelist and documentary film-maker from Mayiladuthurai in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu. He won the Sahitya Akademi Award in Tamil for his novel, Vicharanai Commission in 1998.
Kandasamy's first novel was Saayavanam Puthinam, published in 1968. It was well-received and was later included by the National Book Trust as one of Indian literature's modern masterpieces. Saayavanam is one of the earliest examples of literature focusing on ecological concerns in India, and focuses on forest clearances and industrial development in Tamil Nadu. Kandasamy based on the novel on his own experiences in rural Tamil Nadu, and named the novel after a village that he had lived in with his family, as a child.
His novel, Vicharanai Commission, which dealt with custodial violence and the police, won the Sahitya Akademi Award for Tamil in 1998.
He has published seven novels and several collection of short stories, in Tamil. One of Kandasamy's novels, Tholaindhu ponavargal was adapted for television.
In addition to fiction, Kandasamy wrote several pieces of criticism, focusing on visual arts and writing in Tamil Nadu, as well as introducing a series of Tamil biographies published by the Sahitya Akademi.
Kandasamy's documentary film, Kaval Deivangal, documented history and techniques relating to traditional terracotta art in South India. It won the first prize at the Angino Film Festival, in Cyprus, in 1989. In addition, Kandasamy also directed several other documentaries, primarily on popular Tamil writers and artists, including the sculptor S. Dhanapal, and writers Jayakanthan and Ashokamitran.
Novels: Saayavanam Puthinam Suriya Vamsam Visaranai Commission Avan Aanathu Tholaindhu Ponavargal (Those Who Are Lost) Perum Mazhai Natkal Neelavan
Awards and honors (1998) Sahitya Akademi Award - for his novel, Vicharanai Commission (1995) Lalit Kala Akademi Fellowship - for contributions to literature
When the main event unfolds, the dialogues spoken by various groups who are at different power levels ( police, labour, administrators, etc.) showed a severe discordance that existed politically in Tamil Nadu after the Emergency period. In the name of identity, language and representation, without any ONE person or party with absolute control, the politics and governments of Tamil Nadu were formed. That resulted in the shifting of governments regularly in the next 3 decades. If there had been a consent, there would be a single power/ideology today. But the lack of any understanding between the various factions of the people at various power levels has resulted in Tamil Nadu being not controlled by any singular ideology politically.(other than that of identity and language which both parties used)
I read the English translation of this book by Vasantha Surya. Perhaps it was the quality of translation but I found the book a disappointment. The story starts well but then meanders into too many threads which do not quite come together. The editing is quite bad. Some of the Tamil phrases have been translated literally which doesn't read well in English. I liked the use of "'nga" as the polite way of calling someone left untranslated because there is no way to translate it in English really. Overall the book gives a glimpse into another way of life in another era.