Journalist P. Sainath to be honoured in Dubai

Tamil writer Perumal Murugan (left) and journalist P. Sainath have highlighted social and caste issues through their work.

Senior Indian journalist and author P. Sainath and controversial Tamil writer Perumal Murugan will be honoured in Dubai.
Sainath, the former rural affairs editor of Indian daily The Hindu and winner of the Ramon Magsaysay Award in 2007, has been selected for the first CShell Media award constituted in memory of journalist T.N. Gopakumar, while Perumal Murugan will be conferred with the first ONV Kurup Literary Award.
The awards, which include Rs100,000 and a citation, will be presented at a function on May 19 at the Rashid Library Auditorium, Dubai.
"We are happy to announce the first T.N. Gopakumar Media Award to P. Sainath, who has made a unique contribution to Indian journalism. He has received over 40 national and international media awards," said  K.L. Gopi, jury member. Former Kerala minister M A Baby is the chairman of the award jury.
Gopi said Sainath has been selected for his contribution in highlighting various socio-economic disparities in Indian society, rural life, poverty and globalisation.  As a journalist, he has travelled extensively in rural
India to study rural poverty and other problems. Sainath was the first reporter to win Amnesty
International's Global Human Rights Journalism Prize in its inaugural year in 2000.
Perumal Murugan, a professor in Tamil Nadu, has written many
novels and stories including Mathorubhaghan and Ardhanaresshwaran that evoked strong protest in India from the right wing activists.
Following violent protests, the author had announced his retirement from creative writing through a Facebook post, leading to a heated debate in the literary circles about freedom of expression.
The CShell Media and Literary Awards will be an annual event, said the organisers. The award function will be followed by performances of various Indian classical art forms by special troupes and dancers.
sathish@khaleejtimes.com