Veteran Malayalam poet and film lyricist O N V Kurup has bagged the Jnanpith award for 2007. He is the fifth Jnanpith laureate from Kerala and the second poet from the state to win the prestigious award. During his seven-decade-long career, the winner of the country’s highest literary honour bagged several state and national awards, including the Padmashree in 1998.Reacting to his winning the Jnanpith, Kurup said, “I am writing for better days for humankind. I am still drawing inspiration for writing from the life of my coastal village. The award is recognition of the Malayalam language.”Kurup’s writing has touched every aspect of Kerala life. Through his work he has particularly raised concerns with regard to agriculture. His contribution to the genre of drama has enriched the Left movement in the state. The pro-Left writer had unsuccessfully contested Lok Sabha polls from Thiruvananthapuram constituency in 1991."I consider this as an honour for Malayalam poetry. I truly believe that Malayalam poetry does not lag behind poetry in any other language and I accept this honour recalling the invaluable contributions from the illustrious pioneers of Malayalam literature," Kurup, on a tour of the Gulf, said in his reaction.Kurup is the fifth recipient of the country's highest literary honour for Malayalam language, after G Sankara Kurup, S K Pottekkat, Thakazhi Shivashankara Pillai and M T Vasudevan Nair. He is the second among Malayalam poets to receive the honour after the first-ever Jnanpith was awarded to the late G Sankara Kurup.Sharing the elation of the literary fraternity, Vasudevan Nair said this was a moment of great joy for entire Kerala. "O N V has been writing poetry for over six decades. He still retains the poetic flair in his mind without losing its vibrancy."
