The Jnanpith Award, India’s highest literary honour, has been awarded to noted Tamil poet and lyricist Vairamuthu, triggering both congratulatory messages and renewed criticism over past allegations against him, writes The Indian Express.
The Bharatiya Jnanpith announced on Saturday that Vairamuthu had been selected for the 60th edition of the award. MK Stalin congratulated the writer, while actor and filmmaker Kamal Haasan described him as his mentor and said he was “truly happy” about the honour. Superstar Rajinikanth also extended his wishes.
However, singer Chinmayi Sripada strongly criticised the decision. Chinmayi was among the first to accuse Vairamuthu during India’s MeToo movement in India in 2018 and said the recognition overlooked the allegations against him. She noted that she had faced professional setbacks after speaking out, including losing membership in the Tamil Film Dubbing Union and a sharp decline in singing opportunities.
In a post on X, Chinmayi Sripada wrote: “In 2018, multiple women of different age groups named one Poet-Lyricist as their molester. Today the Jnanpith is awarded to the man… The collective voices of the women who named him were silenced. I paid a very heavy price. The rest of the women who left their dreams behind weren’t half as lucky as I.”
Giving a sharp reply to Kamal Haasan’s congratulatory post, Chinmayi wrote, “Men in such power in cinema transitioning to politics, completely turning a deaf ear to women who come on record to say they were molested by his uncle-mentor, must remind women who vote that men will never be on our side.”
Chinmayi also pointed to earlier controversies involving the poet, including accusations by the daughter of writer Jayakanthan that Vairamuthu had presented a forged letter attributed to her father praising him.
She also wrote, “End of the day, men WILL stand by their bros, uncles, dads, and mentors. Who cares if multiple women were traumatised?”
She further recalled that a committee in Kerala had earlier announced Vairamuthu as a recipient of the ONV Kurup Award, but later withdrew the honour following protests from members of the literary community.
The award has reignited debate in literary and cultural circles about recognition, accountability and the impact of the MeToo movement in India.