Writer A Sethumadhavan was given a warm welcome by the people of his homeland, including citizens of Kadungallur panchayat, social leaders and friends, on his appointment as the chairman of the National Book Trust (NBT), New Delhi.
The function attended by administrators, elected representatives, social activists and ministers, was inaugurated by Cultural Affairs and Rural Development Minister K C Joseph, on Monday, at Kadungallur here.
“The appointment of Sethu as the chairman of the NBT is a great recognition to all Malayalis, because it is a position that has been held by great luminaries of Indian literature like Bipan Chandra, Sitakant Mahapatra and U R Ananthamurthy. Sethu is, on the one hand, a prince of awards. He has been selected for Central Sahitya Academy Award, Kerala Sahitya Academy Award as well as a recipient of Vayalar and Muttathu Varkey awards,” Joseph said.
The minister took the opportunity to ask Sethu’s assistance in acquiring Malayalam language the long coveted status of classic language, already obtained by Tamil and Telugu.
Public Works Minister V K Ebrahim Kunju presided over the function.
Public Service Commission chairman K S Radhakrishnan offered felicitations.Sethu Madhavan said, “When the NBT began, Jawaharlal Nehru appointed John Mathai, his Finance Minister and an economic expert as its first head. It is probably because he wanted the trust to go a long way and finance was an important factor in the process. So, in that sense, I would be the third Malayali to hold the position.
” Sethu explained that some changes are taking place in the constitution of the governing body of the Central Sahitya Academy and in that context though he could not promise anything, he would try to make a follow-up wherever necessary to make Malayalam a classic language.
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