தென்பாண்டி சிங்கம் (வாளுக்கு வேலி):
Tenpantic Cinkam (Thenpandi Singam):
One of the outstanding historical novels in Tamil, Tenpantic Cinkam is set in the southernmost parts of Tamilnadu, wherein a large amount of historical material is expended to make the tale come alive. Dealing with the intricate web of the political and personal saga of two states Pattamankalam and Pakaneri in opposition with each other and commonly, against the growing powers of the British, this narrative relies upon carefully researched historical evidence to weave its absorbing magic of fiction. Located in time immediately after the tragic fall of Virapantiya Kattapomman and the Marutu brothers, this novel can claim to be an exercise in revisionist history, with its elements of patriotism and political revolution.
The hero Valukku Veli after whose ruling attribute the novel is named – the Lion of Southern Panti – dominates the imaginative canvas of one of the most prolific Tamil writers of today. Valukku Veli’s heroism, uprightness and honour etch on the hearts of the readers as deeply as they do on his beloved sister Kalyani's heart. The story of this cultural hero, in fact, revolves around the truth of human bondage, of love, trust and its concomittant betrayal, daring, reverence for motherland, the joys of conquest and the sorrow of defeat in the hands of treachery.
In depicting the sociocultural past, Kalaignar not only retrieves its glory but as a conscientious author of a historical novel, he strikes a balance between history and literature. The shadow of sorrow that admits the loss of greatness and generosity to deceit and greed makes the novel almost a fable that is of contemporary value. Benedetto Croce's conclusion that ‘a sense of the present is the truest characteristic of all living history as opposed to a mere chronicle’ may be truly invoked to describe ‘Tenpantic Cinkam’, an aesthetic marvel of timeless appeal.
About Author(s)
Bharathiar University, Coimbatore – named after the nationalist Tamil poet Subramanya Bharathi, who exhorted the Tamils to identify things worthy in their language, and give them unto the world for enjoyment and edification – conceived this Project viz., Kalaignar in English Translation by which to make available in English the extraordinarily rich and varied literary works of Kalaignar M. Karunanidhi, who, by the sheer volume and weight of his output, makes a compulsive demand on us that he be studied and given his due.
Mukkulathor Ezhuchi Kazhagam
The hero Valukku Veli after whose ruling attribute the novel is named – the Lion of Southern Panti – dominates the imaginative canvas of one of the most prolific Tamil writers of today. Valukku Veli’s heroism, uprightness and honour etch on the hearts of the readers as deeply as they do on his beloved sister Kalyani's heart. The story of this cultural hero, in fact, revolves around the truth of human bondage, of love, trust and its concomittant betrayal, daring, reverence for motherland, the joys of conquest and the sorrow of defeat in the hands of treachery.
In depicting the sociocultural past, Kalaignar not only retrieves its glory but as a conscientious author of a historical novel, he strikes a balance between history and literature. The shadow of sorrow that admits the loss of greatness and generosity to deceit and greed makes the novel almost a fable that is of contemporary value. Benedetto Croce's conclusion that ‘a sense of the present is the truest characteristic of all living history as opposed to a mere chronicle’ may be truly invoked to describe ‘Tenpantic Cinkam’, an aesthetic marvel of timeless appeal.
About Author(s)
Bharathiar University, Coimbatore – named after the nationalist Tamil poet Subramanya Bharathi, who exhorted the Tamils to identify things worthy in their language, and give them unto the world for enjoyment and edification – conceived this Project viz., Kalaignar in English Translation by which to make available in English the extraordinarily rich and varied literary works of Kalaignar M. Karunanidhi, who, by the sheer volume and weight of his output, makes a compulsive demand on us that he be studied and given his due.
Mukkulathor Ezhuchi Kazhagam
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