From Bharati to Karunanidhi: Nationalisation of Literary Works in Tamil Nadu

From Bharati to Karunanidhi: Nationalisation of Literary Works in Tamil Nadu

Sub :History

Sec : Modern India

Context:  To mark the birth centenary of former Chief Minister and Muthamil Arignar (Tamil scholar) M. Karunanidhi, the Tamil Nadu government has nationalised his entire literary output.

Introduction

• Nationalisation of literary works began in Tamil Nadu as an honor for distinguished cultural figures.
• It allows works to enter the public domain, making them accessible to the public.
• Initially intended as a noble gesture, the practice has become more complex and controversial over time.

The Beginning: Subramania Bharati

• Subramania Bharati’s works were the first to be nationalised in 1949.
• After Bharati’s death, his widow sold the copyrights in distress to a filmmaker, which caused public uproar.
• The Madras government acquired the rights to Bharati’s works, making them freely available to the public.
• This move was seen as a unique honor for Bharati, setting a precedent for future nationalisations.

Expansion of Nationalisation

• Over time, more literary works were nationalised by the Tamil Nadu government.
• Bharathidasan’s works were nationalised during M. Karunanidhi’s tenure in the late 1980s.
• In 1994, Jayalalithaa nationalised the works of DMK founder C.N. Annadurai.
• To date, the works of 179 writers have been nationalised, with nearly ₹15 crore distributed to their heirs.

Problems and Controversies

• Legal Issues:
  • Nationalisation has led to complications regarding moral rights and ownership.
  • In some cases, authors’ works were nationalised while they were still alive, raising legal dilemmas.
• Inconsistent Compensation:
  • Heirs of deceased authors have not always received fair or consistent financial compensation.
  • Families often lobby the government for monetary support after a writer’s death.
• Impact on Publishers:
  • Publishers who legally held the rights to certain works faced losses when those works were nationalised.
  • The compensation process has sometimes favored heirs over legal copyright holders.

Impact on Tamil Publishing Industry

• Positive Impact:
  • Nationalisation has democratised access to literature and supported scholarly work.
• Negative Impact:
  • Predatory publishers have exploited the availability of nationalised works, mass-producing low-quality reprints.
  • Public libraries have been flooded with cheaply produced versions of classic works.
  • Authorship and the integrity of literary works have been compromised, leading to significant degradation of Tamil literature.

A Call for Reform

• The nationalisation of Karunanidhi’s works marks the culmination of this practice.
• It may be time to reconsider nationalisation as the method to honor writers.
• Alternative ways to support writers and preserve literary integrity should be explored, such as direct financial support or new patronage systems.

Conclusion

• While the nationalisation of literary works in Tamil Nadu has a rich history, it has led to numerous issues over time.
• The practice has reached its peak with the nationalisation of Karunanidhi’s works, and now may be the time for a moratorium.
• The government should seek new methods to both support indigent writers and preserve the cultural value of Tamil literature.