Rajam Krishnan: Difference between revisions

Rajam Krishnan
Rajam Krishnan
Born	Rajam Krishnan; 1924 or 1925; Musiri, Tiruchirapalli district
Died	20 October 2014

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Latest revision as of 08:44, 21 January 2026

Rajam Krishnan (1924^[1] or 1925 – 20 October 2014), was a feminist Tamil writer from Tamil Nadu, India.

Biography[edit | edit source]

Rajam Krishnan was born in Musiri, Tiruchirapalli district. She had very little formal education and appears to have been largely an autodidact.^[2]

She started publishing in her twenties. She is known for writing well researched social novels on the lives of people usually not depicted in modern Tamil literature - poor farmers, salt pan workers, small-time criminals, jungle dacoits, under-trial prisoners and female labourers. She has written more than 80 books.^[3] Her works include forty novels, twenty plays, two biographies and several short stories. In addition to her own writing, she was a translator of literature from Malayalam to Tamil.^[4] In their anthology of Women's Writing in India in the 19th and 20th Century, Susie J Tharu and K Lalita credit Krishnan with "having set a new trend in Tamil literature," referring to the extensive research that Krishnan did in evaluating social conditions as background for her writing.^[4]

In 1973, she was awarded the Sahitya Akademi Award for Tamil for her novel Verukku Neer.^[5] In 2009, her works were nationalised by the Government of Tamil Nadu, for a compensation of Rs. 300,000. It was a rare occurrence as only works of dead writers are usually nationalised in Tamil Nadu.^[6]^[7]^[8]

Death[edit | edit source]

Rajam was left poor and destitute in her later years and had to be admitted to an old age home.^[1] She died on 20 October 2014.^[1]

Bibliography[edit | edit source]

Uthara Kaandam - (உத்தர காண்டம்)
Kurinji Then - (குறிஞ்சித்தேன்)Kannada & Malayalam Translations are published
Valaikaram - (வளைக்கரம்)
Verukku Neer - (வேருக்கு நீர்)Kannada Translation available
Malargal - (மலர்கள்) ^[9]
Mullum Malarndhadhu - (முள்ளும் மலர்ந்தது)
Paadaiyil Padinda Adigal - (பாதையில் பதிந்த அடிகள்)
Alaivaai Karayile - (அலைவாய் கரையிலே) ^[10]
Karippu Manigal - (கரிப்பு மணிகள்) ^[11]
Mannakattu puntulikal - (மண்ணகத்துப் பூந்துளிகள்)
Sathiya Velvi - (சத்திய வேள்வி)
Suzhalil Mithakkum Deepangal (Lamps in the Whirlpool) (1987)

Awards and recognitions[edit | edit source]

New York Herald Tribune International Award for a short story (1950) ^[12]
Kalaimagal award (1953)(நாவல் 'பெண் குரல்') ^[13]
'Malargal' (Flowers) Ananda Vikatan Novel Prize Winner(1958)('மலர்கள்' ஆனந்த விகடன் பரிசு நாவல் 1958)^{[citation needed]}
Sahitya Akademi Award for Tamil for Verukku Neer (Water for the Roots) (1973) ^[14]
Soviet Land Nehru Award (1975) for Vailaikkaram (Wrist with Bangles) ^[12]^[15]
Thiru. Vi. Ka award (1991) ^[12]

References[edit | edit source]

↑ ^1.0 ^1.1 ^1.2 Kolappan, B. (22 October 2014). "Writer Rajam Krishnan dead". The Hindu.
↑ Tharu, Susie (1993). Women Writing in India: The Twentieth Century. Feminist Press at CUNY. pp. 205–207. ISBN 9781558610293.
↑ "Open to life and art". The Hindu. Chennai, India. 4 January 2004. Archived from the original on 11 March 2004. Retrieved 23 May 2010.
↑ ^4.0 ^4.1 Susie Tharu and K Lalita, Women Writing In India Feminist Press at CUNY, 1993) 203-206
↑ Tamil Sahitya Akademi Awards 1955-2007 Archived 2010-01-24 at the Wayback Machine Sahitya Akademi Official website.
↑ "Works of writer Rajam Krishnan to be nationalised". The Times of India. 31 March 2009. Archived from the original on 11 August 2011. Retrieved 23 May 2010.
↑ C. S. Lakshmi (4 January 2004). "Metaphor for a generation". The Hindu. Chennai, India. Archived from the original on 7 November 2012. Retrieved 23 May 2010.
↑ Kumar, Sampath (17 July 2003). "India rights campaign for infanticide mothers". BBC News. Retrieved 23 May 2010.
↑ "Malargal". Google Books. 1993. Retrieved 22 July 2025.
↑ "Alaivaai Karayile". Amazon. Retrieved 22 July 2025.
↑ "Rajam Krishnan". Chennai Library. Retrieved 22 July 2025.
↑ ^12.0 ^12.1 ^12.2 "Acclaimed Feminist Writer Passes Away". New Indian Express. 22 October 2014. Retrieved 22 July 2025.
↑ "Rajam Krishnan and Indian Feminist Hermeneutics" (PDF). Cambridge Scholars. Retrieved 22 July 2025.
↑ "Writer Rajam Krishnan Dead". The Hindu. 22 October 2014. Retrieved 22 July 2025.
↑ Susie Tharu and K Lalita, Women Writing In India (Feminist Press at CUNY, 1993) 203-206

External links[edit | edit source]

[thehindu_20141022-1] 1.0 ^1.1 ^1.2 Kolappan, B. (22 October 2014). "Writer Rajam Krishnan dead". The Hindu.

[2] Tharu, Susie (1993). Women Writing in India: The Twentieth Century. Feminist Press at CUNY. pp. 205–207. ISBN 9781558610293.

[3] "Open to life and art". The Hindu. Chennai, India. 4 January 2004. Archived from the original on 11 March 2004. Retrieved 23 May 2010.

[K_Lalita,_1993-4] 4.0 ^4.1 Susie Tharu and K Lalita, Women Writing In India Feminist Press at CUNY, 1993) 203-206

[sahitya-5] Tamil Sahitya Akademi Awards 1955-2007 Archived 2010-01-24 at the Wayback Machine Sahitya Akademi Official website.

[6] "Works of writer Rajam Krishnan to be nationalised". The Times of India. 31 March 2009. Archived from the original on 11 August 2011. Retrieved 23 May 2010.

[7] C. S. Lakshmi (4 January 2004). "Metaphor for a generation". The Hindu. Chennai, India. Archived from the original on 7 November 2012. Retrieved 23 May 2010.

[8] Kumar, Sampath (17 July 2003). "India rights campaign for infanticide mothers". BBC News. Retrieved 23 May 2010.

[9] "Malargal". Google Books. 1993. Retrieved 22 July 2025.

[10] "Alaivaai Karayile". Amazon. Retrieved 22 July 2025.

[11] "Rajam Krishnan". Chennai Library. Retrieved 22 July 2025.

[NIE-12] 12.0 ^12.1 ^12.2 "Acclaimed Feminist Writer Passes Away". New Indian Express. 22 October 2014. Retrieved 22 July 2025.

[13] "Rajam Krishnan and Indian Feminist Hermeneutics" (PDF). Cambridge Scholars. Retrieved 22 July 2025.

[14] "Writer Rajam Krishnan Dead". The Hindu. 22 October 2014. Retrieved 22 July 2025.

[15] Susie Tharu and K Lalita, Women Writing In India (Feminist Press at CUNY, 1993) 203-206

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@@ Line 48: / Line 48: @@
 ==Biography==
-Rajam Krishnan was born in [[Musiri]], [[Tiruchirapalli district]]. She had very little formal education and appears to have been largely an autodidact.<ref>{{Cite book|title = Women Writing in India: The Twentieth Century|last = Tharu, (ed)|first = Susie|publisher = Feminist Press at CUNY|year = 1993|isbn = 9781558610293|pages = 205–207}}</ref>
+Rajam Krishnan was born in  [[Musiri]], [[Tiruchirapalli district]]. She had very little formal education and appears to have been largely an autodidact.<ref>{{Cite book|title = Women Writing in India: The Twentieth Century|last = Tharu|first = Susie|publisher = Feminist Press at CUNY|year = 1993|isbn = 9781558610293|pages = 205–207}}</ref>
 She started publishing in her twenties. She is known for writing well researched social novels on the lives of people usually not depicted in modern Tamil literature - poor farmers, salt pan workers, small-time criminals, jungle dacoits, under-trial prisoners and female labourers. She has written more than 80 books.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.hindu.com/thehindu/lr/2004/01/04/stories/2004010400350600.htm|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20040311195600/http://www.hindu.com/thehindu/lr/2004/01/04/stories/2004010400350600.htm|url-status=dead|archive-date=11 March 2004|title=Open to life and art|date=4 January 2004|work=[[The Hindu]]|access-date=23 May 2010|location=Chennai, India}}</ref> Her works include forty novels, twenty plays, two biographies and several short stories. In addition to her own writing, she was a translator of literature from Malayalam to Tamil.<ref name="K Lalita, 1993">Susie Tharu and K Lalita, ''Women Writing In India'' Feminist Press at CUNY, 1993) 203-206</ref> In their anthology of Women's Writing in India in the 19th and 20th Century, Susie J Tharu and K Lalita credit Krishnan with "having set a new trend in Tamil literature," referring to the extensive research that Krishnan did in evaluating social conditions as background for her writing.<ref name="K Lalita, 1993"/>
-In 1973, she was awarded the [[Sahitya Akademi Award]] for [[List of Sahitya Akademi Award winners for Tamil language|Tamil]] for her novel ''Verukku Neer''.<ref name="sahitya">[http://www.sahitya-akademi.gov.in/old_version/awa10320.htm#tamil Tamil Sahitya Akademi Awards 1955-2007] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100124032426/http://www.sahitya-akademi.gov.in/old_version/awa10320.htm |date=2010-01-24 }} [[Sahitya Akademi]] Official website.</ref> In 2009, her works were nationalised by the [[Government of Tamil Nadu]], for a compensation of Rs. 300,000. It was a rare occurrence as only works of dead writers are usually nationalised in Tamil Nadu.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/2009-05-31/chennai/28183081_1_sahitya-akademi-award-nationalisation-works|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110811065936/http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/2009-05-31/chennai/28183081_1_sahitya-akademi-award-nationalisation-works|url-status=dead|archive-date=11 August 2011|title=Works of writer Rajam Krishnan to be nationalised|date=31 March 2009|work=[[The Times of India]]|access-date=23 May 2010}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.hindu.com/thehindu/lr/2004/01/04/stories/2004010400380600.htm|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121107204849/http://www.hindu.com/thehindu/lr/2004/01/04/stories/2004010400380600.htm|url-status=dead|archive-date=7 November 2012|title=Metaphor for a generation|last=C. S. Lakshmi|author-link=C. S. Lakshmi|date=4 January 2004|work=[[The Hindu]]|access-date=23 May 2010|location=Chennai, India}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/south_asia/3071747.stm|title=India rights campaign for infanticide mothers|date=17 July 2003|work=[[BBC News]]|access-date=23 May 2010|first=Sampath|last=Kumar}}</ref>
+In 1973, she was awarded the [[Sahitya Akademi Award]] for [[List of Sahitya Akademi Award winners for Tamil language|Tamil]] for her novel ''Verukku Neer''.<ref name="sahitya">[http://www.sahitya-akademi.gov.in/old_version/awa10320.htm#tamil Tamil Sahitya Akademi Awards 1955-2007] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100124032426/http://www.sahitya-akademi.gov.in/old_version/awa10320.htm |date=2010-01-24 }} [[Sahitya Akademi]] Official website.</ref> In 2009, her works were nationalised by the [[Government of Tamil Nadu]], for a compensation of Rs. 300,000. It was a rare occurrence as only works of dead writers are usually nationalised in Tamil Nadu.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/chennai/Works-of-writer-Rajam-Krishnan-to-be-nationalised/articleshow/4598664.cms|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110811065936/http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/2009-05-31/chennai/28183081_1_sahitya-akademi-award-nationalisation-works|url-status=live|archive-date=11 August 2011|title=Works of writer Rajam Krishnan to be nationalised|date=31 March 2009|work=[[The Times of India]]|access-date=23 May 2010}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.hindu.com/thehindu/lr/2004/01/04/stories/2004010400380600.htm|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121107204849/http://www.hindu.com/thehindu/lr/2004/01/04/stories/2004010400380600.htm|url-status=dead|archive-date=7 November 2012|title=Metaphor for a generation|last=C. S. Lakshmi|author-link=C. S. Lakshmi|date=4 January 2004|work=[[The Hindu]]|access-date=23 May 2010|location=Chennai, India}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=https://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/south_asia/3071747.stm|title=India rights campaign for infanticide mothers|date=17 July 2003|work=[[BBC News]]|access-date=23 May 2010|first=Sampath|last=Kumar}}</ref>
 == Death ==
@@ Line 58: / Line 58: @@
 Rajam was left poor and destitute in her later years and had to be admitted to an old age home.<ref name="thehindu_20141022" /> She died on 20 October 2014.<ref name="thehindu_20141022" />
-==Partial bibliography==
+==Bibliography==
 *''Uthara Kaandam - (உத்தர காண்டம்)''
 *''Kurinji Then - (குறிஞ்சித்தேன்)''Kannada  & Malayalam Translations are published
 *''Valaikaram - (வளைக்கரம்)''
 *''Verukku Neer - (வேருக்கு நீர்)''Kannada Translation available
-*''Malargal - (மலர்கள்)''
+*''Malargal - (மலர்கள்)'' <ref>{{cite web |url= https://books.google.com/books?id=q8UwHAAACAAJ |title= Malargal |author=<!--Not stated--> |date= 1993|website= Google Books |publisher= |access-date= July 22, 2025 |quote=}}</ref>
 *''Mullum Malarndhadhu - (முள்ளும் மலர்ந்தது)''
 *''Paadaiyil Padinda Adigal - (பாதையில் பதிந்த அடிகள்)''
-*''Alaivaai Karayile - (அலைவாய் கரையிலே)''
+*''Alaivaai Karayile - (அலைவாய் கரையிலே)'' <ref>{{cite web |url= https://www.amazon.in/ALAIVAAI-KARAIYIL-Novel-அலைவாய்க்-கரையில்/dp/B09VCB5M16 |title= Alaivaai Karayile |author=<!--Not stated--> |date= |website= Amazon |publisher= |access-date= July 22, 2025 |quote=}}</ref>
-*''Karippu Manigal - (கரிப்பு மணிகள்)''
+*''Karippu Manigal - (கரிப்பு மணிகள்)'' <ref>{{cite web |url= https://www.chennailibrary.com/rajamkrishnan/karippumanigal/km.html#google_vignette |title= Rajam Krishnan |author=<!--Not stated--> |date= |website= Chennai Library |publisher= |access-date= July 22, 2025 |quote=}}</ref>
 *''Mannakattu puntulikal - (மண்ணகத்துப் பூந்துளிகள்)''
 *''Sathiya Velvi - (சத்திய வேள்வி)''
-*''Suzhalil Mithakkum Deepangal'' (Lamps in the Whirlpool)(1987)
+*''Suzhalil Mithakkum Deepangal'' (Lamps in the Whirlpool) (1987)
 ==Awards and recognitions==
-*[[New York Herald Tribune]] International Award for a short story (1950)
+*[[New York Herald Tribune]] International Award for a short story (1950) <ref name=NIE>{{cite web |url= https://www.newindianexpress.com/states/tamil-nadu/2014/Oct/22/acclaimed-feminist-writer-passes-away-674264.html |title= Acclaimed Feminist Writer Passes Away |author=<!--Not stated--> |date= 22 October 2014 |website= New Indian Express |publisher= |access-date= July 22, 2025 |quote=}}</ref>
-*Kalaimagal award (1953)(நாவல் 'பெண் குரல்')
+*Kalaimagal award (1953)(நாவல் 'பெண் குரல்') <ref>{{cite web |url= https://www.cambridgescholars.com/resources/pdfs/978-1-4438-2995-3-sample.pdf |title= Rajam Krishnan and Indian Feminist Hermeneutics |author=<!--Not stated--> |date= |website= Cambridge Scholars |publisher= |access-date= July 22, 2025 |quote=}}</ref>
-*[[Sahitya Akademi Award]] for [[List of Sahitya Akademi Award winners for Tamil language|Tamil]] for ''Verukku Neer'' (Water for the Roots) (1973)
+*'Malargal' (Flowers) Ananda Vikatan Novel Prize Winner(1958)('மலர்கள்' ஆனந்த விகடன் பரிசு நாவல் 1958){{citation needed|date= September 2022}}
-*Thiru. Vi. Ka award (1991)
+*[[Sahitya Akademi Award]] for [[List of Sahitya Akademi Award winners for Tamil language|Tamil]] for ''Verukku Neer'' (Water for the Roots) (1973) <ref>{{cite web |url= https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/tamil-nadu/writer-rajam-krishnan-dead/article6524537.ece  |title= Writer Rajam Krishnan Dead |author=<!--Not stated--> |date= 22 October 2014 |website= The Hindu |publisher= |access-date= July 22, 2025 |quote=}}</ref>
-*'Malargal' (Flowers) Ananda Vikatan Novel Prize Winner(1958)('மலர்கள்' ஆனந்த விகடன் பரிசு நாவல் 1958)
+*Soviet Land Nehru Award (1975) for ''Vailaikkaram'' (Wrist with Bangles) <ref name=NIE /><ref>Susie Tharu and K Lalita, ''Women Writing In India'' (Feminist Press at CUNY, 1993) 203-206</ref>
-*Soviet Land Nehru Award (1975) for ''Vailaikkaram'' (Wrist with Bangles)<ref>Susie Tharu and K Lalita, ''Women Writing In India'' (Feminist Press at CUNY, 1993) 203-206</ref>
+*Thiru. Vi. Ka award (1991) <ref name=NIE />
 ==References==
@@ Line 95: / Line 96: @@
 [[Category:20th-century Indian women writers]]
 [[Category:Recipients of the Sahitya Akademi Award in Tamil]]
-[[Category:Tamil writers]]
+[[Category:Indian Tamil writers]]
 [[Category:People from Tiruchirappalli district]]
 [[Category:2014 deaths]]

v t e Sahitya Akademi Award for Tamil language
1955–1975	R. P. Sethu Pillai (1955) Kalki Krishnamurthy (1956) C. Rajagopalachari (1958) Mu. Varadarajan (1961) Mi. Pa. Somasundaram (1962) Akilan (1963) P. Sri Acharya (1965) Ma. Po. Si. (1966) K. V. Jagannathan (1967) A. Srinivasa Raghavan (1968) Bharatidasan (1969) Ku. Alagirisami (1970) Na. Parthasarathy (1971) D. Jayakanthan (1972) Rajam Krishnan (1973) K. D. Thirunavukkarasu (1974) R. Dhandayudham (1975)
1976–2000	Indira Parthasarathy (1977) Vallikannan (1978) Thi. Janakiraman (1979) Kannadasan (1980) M. Ramalingam (1981) B. S. Ramaiya (1982) T. M. Chidambara Ragunathan (1983) Lakshmi Thiripurasundari (1984) A. S. Gnanasambandan (1985) Ka. Naa. Subramaniam (1986) Aadhavan Sundaram (1987) V. C. Kulandaiswamy (1988) La Sa Ra (1989) Su. Samuthiram (1990) Ki. Rajanarayanan (1991) Kovi. Manisekaran (1992) M. V. Venkatram (1993) Ponneelan (1994) Prapanchan (1995) Ashoka Mitran (1996) Thoppil Mohamed Meeran (1997) Sa. Kandasamy (1998) S. Abdul Rahman (1999) Thi. Ka. Sivasankaran (2000)
2001-present	C. S. Chellappa (2001) Sirpi Balasubramaniam (2002) Vairamuthu (2003) Tamilanban (2004) G. Thilakavathi (2005) Mu. Metha (2006) Neela Padmanabhan (2007) Melanmai Ponnusamy (2008) Puviarasu (2009) Nanjil Nadan (2010) Su. Venkatesan (2011) D. Selvaraj (2012) Joe D'Cruz (2013) Poomani (2014) A. Madhavan (2015) Vannadasan (2016) Inkulab (2017) S. Ramakrishnan (2018)

Rajam Krishnan

Born	Rajam Krishnan 1924 or 1925 Musiri, Tiruchirapalli district
Died	20 October 2014