The Sahitya Akademi project to bring out the complete works of Tamil poet Subramania Bharathi in English was progressing apace, Sirpi Balasubramaniam, scholar and convenor of the Tamil Advisory Board, Sahitya Akademi, said on Sunday.
Chairing a bilingual poets' meet of Tamil and Malayalam litterateurs under the auspices of the Sahitya Akademi to mark the 150th birth anniversary of Rabindranath Tagore, Mr. Balasubramaniam said the project had been launched about two years ago to commemorate the 125th birth anniversary of Bharathi and would be completed soon.
The Akademi project to translate Bharathi's works — poetry, essays and stories — is being undertaken under a UNESCO-sponsored initiative. Mr. Balasubramaniam pointed out that the Akademi had already brought out a four-volume anthology of the works of Tagore.
Malayalam poet V.G. Thampi began the forum on poetry with a recital of his tribute to the late “Silk Smitha,” who fell prey to an exploitative world and ended her life.
Tamil poet Palani Bharathi referenced one of Tagore's works in his poem and followed it up with another rendering, “Red, Yellow, Green.”
Aranga Mallika used the metaphor of the burdened shoulder to draw attention to the plight of oppressed Dalit women and landless farmers.
