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| Dr U R Ananthamoorthy |
Academic and Indian English writer Dr U R Ananthamoorthy has been chosen for Bashir Puraskaram 2012, instituted in memory of prominent Malayalam novelist and writer of yesteryears Vaikom Mohamed Basheer.
The award is instituted by Pravasi Doha, a prominent expatriate forum in the Indian community.
Moorthy was the vice-chancellor at Kerala’s Mahatma Gandhi University between 1987 and 1991. He also served as a senior faculty in the English department at Mysore University, and was also chairman of the National Book Trust. Dr Moorthy also served as chairman of the Kendra Sahitya Akademi.
Announcing the award yesterday in Kozhikode in Kerala, prominent Indian litterateur and Jnanpeeth award winner M T Vasudevan Nair, who headed the jury, said Dr Ananthamoorthy has been chosen in honour of his endless struggle to recognise through his writings the glory of Indian culture, language and traditions.
“Dr Moorthy has never compromised in fighting those who blindly followed western traditions even while he questioned and discarded some of the age old rigid traditions in the community around him,” said Nair.
Even though Dr Moorthy attained great honours in literature at the global level, he preserved some of the traditions of his native village which he felt was essential for the local populace, said Nair. He also worked hard to promote India’s cultural diversity through his writings, he added.
On top of all, Dr Moorthy also contributed considerably to introduce and popularise Basheer’s works to the foreigners, said Nair.
Besides Nair, former Doha journalist Babu Mathar and writer M A Rahman were members of the judging committee.
Doha-based C V Rappai, P Shamsudheen, and K K Sudhakaran were also members of the committee.