Support increases for Tamil author, book sales also up

CHENNAI: A day after author Perumal Murugan declared that he was giving up writing due to the controversy over his book ‘Madhorubhagan’ (One Part Woman), protests gathered steam on Wednesday at the ongoing Chennai Book Fair with a signature campaign in his support, and more people buying his book to uphold freedom of expression.
“The Tamil Nadu government has clearly failed in protecting the writer’s freedom of expression against attacks by Hindutva forces, with the police in his native Tiruchengode town being a party to bring him for a forced negotiation at a meeting called by the revenue development officer,” media activist and political analyst Gnani Sankaran told TOI.
Gnani, who was among the signatories to the campaign in the author’s support, said the protest would continue on Thursday at the book fair. However, the Book Sellers and Publishers Association of South India (BAPASI) issued a press release appealing that the book fair premises not be utilized to host any protest programme.
‘Madhorubhagan’ is now into its fourth edition in Tamil. While the original Tamil version was published four years ago, the protests seem to have been triggered by the English translation ‘One Part Woman’ that was released by Penguin last year.
‘Madhorubhagan’ revolves around the futile efforts of a childless couple for a son and a myth related to a temple festival where consensual sex between any man and woman is sanctioned in an attempt to give couples a chance at having children.