Authors back Perumal: Madhorubhagan to be relay-read at a Literature fest IN kO

Kochi: An English translation of Perumal Murugan’s Tamil novel ‘Madhorubhagan’, singled out by certain outfits for being anti-Hindu, will be read out at Kochi-Muziris Biennale tomorrow, in an attempt to express solidarity with the writer. The reading will be led by noted Malayalam writer and former bureaucrat N S Madhavan at Aspinwall Pavilion at nearby Fort Kochi. The novel available in English as ‘One Part Woman’ has been caught up in protests over the past week with some groups seeking a ban on the book, claiming that it denigrates Hindu deities and women devotees. [caption id=“attachment_2051351” align=“alignleft” width=“380”]  Courtesy: Facebook[/caption] The author subsequently issued a declaration on Facebook stating that the writer is “dead” and “Perumal Murugan should be left alone”, withdrawing himself from literary world. Apart from burning copies of the book published in 2010, protest groups had also called for Murugan’s arrest. The novel revolves around the travails of a childless couple and also deals with consensual sex between any man and childless woman to conceive during the annual temple car festival at Tiruchengode in Tamil Nadu. It was alleged that the town of Tiruchengode, women devotees and the annual car festival of Shiva temple there were portrayed in a bad light in the book. The author had however denied it and apologised if he had hurt any sections of people.