Tamil Nadu Launches New Literary Award in Response to Sahitya Akademi Cancellation

In response to the Union government's cancellation of the Sahitya Akademi Awards 2025, Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin announced the institution of the Semmozhi Illakiya Virudhu - a new annual literary award recognizing outstanding works across seven Indian languages.

The award will cover Tamil, Telugu, Kannada, Malayalam, Odia, Bengali, and Marathi. Each winning author will receive Rs 5 lakh in prize money. Stalin criticized the Sahitya Akademi cancellation as an instance of "political interference" in art and literature, calling such intervention "dangerous."

The initiative was developed in response to appeals from writers and literary organizations seeking a constructive reply to the national award's cancellation. To ensure credibility and quality, Stalin emphasized that a committee comprising literary experts and reputed members will oversee selections for each language. He stressed that "literature knows no boundaries" and serves as a bridge connecting different communities across India.