Sa Kandasamy: Tamil writer who spoke for the marginalised

CHENNAI: Tamil writer and documentary filmmaker Sa Kandasamy died of heart attack in Chennai on Friday morning. He was 80.
He was undergoing treatment in a private hospital here, family sources said. A prolific Tamil writer and critic, Kandasamy was a keen observer of happenings around him, particularly in the cultural and social landscape of Tamil Nadu. In 1998, his novel ‘Visaranai Commission’ won the Sahitya Akademi award for the best Tamil novel.Kandasamy’s documentary titled ‘Kaval Deivangal,’ which was based on his studies on the south Indian terracotta, won the first prize at the Angino Film Festival held in Cyprus in 1989.
Kandasamy has written more than 15 books including novels and short stories. Many in the literary field believe that his first novel, ‘Saayavanam’ is his best work. The novel is based on forest degradation in the 1960s. ‘Arumugasamiyin Adugal’, ‘Perum Mazhai Naatkal’, ‘Rambaiyum Naachiyaarum’ and ‘Thakkaiyin Meethu Naangu Kangal’ are his other works.
Born in 1940 in Mayiladuthurai, Kandasamy started writing at an early age. “He was a good friend even though we met only six or seven times. As a writer, he did what he could. He was always worried about how social justice can be achieved through literature,” said Joe D’Cruz, veteran Tamil novelist whose ‘Korkai’ won him the Sahitya Akademi award for the best novel in Tamil in 2013. “He was always concerned about the marginalised in society. He fought for their rights in his own style,” D’Cruz said.
Filmmaker Amshan Kumar said Kandasamy was as good as a short story writer as he was a novelist. “I rate him as a great short story writer. A short film based on his story ‘Thakkaiyin Meethu Naangu Kangal’ won awards. He was a fighter,” he said.
Kandasamy’s son K Saravanan said his father was in the hospital since July 20. “He was suffering from high diabetes. He was admitted in the hospital with multiple organ failure and he died at 7am today,” said Saravanan. Kandasamy is survived by his wife, a daughter and two sons. The funeral will be held at the Besant Nagar crematorium on Friday evening.
Ministers and political leaders expressed condolence over Kandasamy’s death. “He was a great writer who fought for the rights of the poor and the downtrodden in society. It’s a big loss,” said chief minister Edappadi K Palaniswami. DMK MP Kanimozhi said Kandasamy’s works threw light on environmental issues and police atrocities. “It’s a big loss to Tamil literature,” she said in a statement.