A Kerala academy has said it will re-examine its decision to name Tamil poet-lyricist Vairamuthu for a prestigious literary award instituted in the memory of a revered Malayalam poet, following a massive uproar over the selection of a person accused by many women of sexual harassment.

The ONV Cultural Academy, which gives out the ONV Literary Award, was set up in Thiruvananthapuram after the death in 2016 of O.N.V. Kurup, one of the most respected Malayalam poets who had also stood up for women’s rights.

What intensified the controversy and the objection to the selection of Vairamuthu was Academy head Adoor Gopalakrishnan, the noted filmmaker, appearing to defend the choice.

“The ONV Literary Award is not something that needs to be given after examining one’s character. The award is given after examining the quality of writing. Otherwise a special award needs to be given for character,” Gopalakrishnan was quoted by Malayalam news portal The Cue as saying.

On Friday, two days after naming Vairamuthu, the Academy issued a brief statement signed by Gopalakrishnan, stating that the award jury had decided to re-examine the nomination.

“It is informed that the ONV Cultural Academy has decided to re-examine this year’s ONV Literary Award based on the directions of the award committee,” the statement said.

Seventeen women had accused Vairamuthu, a cult figure in Tamil literature and film industry, of sexual harassment during the “MeToo” movement in 2018.

Adoor Telegraph picture

Choosing Vairamuthu for the award triggered a massive uproar from writers and film professionals part of the Women in Cinema Collective (WCC).

Writer and columnist N.S. Madhavan contested the comments attributed to Gopalakrishnan. “Adoor is so wrong when he said that the ONV award was given to Vairamuthu for his writing and not character. Remember 2018 Nobel for Literature was cancelled because there were #MeToo charges against the husband of a jury member. Be sensitive when you deal with arts, please.”

Instituted in the memory of Kurup, the award is given to poets writing in Malayalam and other Indian languages. Previous awardees include Malayalam literary giants such as M.T. Vasudevan Nair, Sugatakumari, Mahakavi Akkitham and M. Leelavathy.

Singer Chinmayi was among the first women to level allegations of sexual misconduct against Vairamuthu. In 2018, she accused him of molesting her during a tour to Switzerland in 2005 or 2006. She and her mother had to return to India when she refused to “cooperate” — an industry innuendo for sexual favours — with Vairamuthu, Chinmayi had said.

Malayalam writer K.R. Meera, who was among those who strongly objected to picking Vairamuthu for the honour, welcomed the change of mind of the jury.

“The award jury is now saying, without actually spelling it out, that they are with women. But if they had gone ahead by ignoring all the protests, that would have explicitly meant that they were not with the women, especially the survivors of sexual harassment,” Meera told The Telegraph.

While many have argued that character must be considered while nominating people for such prestigious awards, Meera said it was beyond just someone’s disposition. “It doesn’t have any connection with character. It is instead workplace sexual harassment that is getting brushed under the carpet by highlighting his (Vairamuthu’s) character,” she said, referring to Gopalakrishnan’s purported comment.

“Sexual harassment inflicts pain not just on a woman’s body. It is her dignity that bears the pain for the rest of her life,” Meera said, citing the importance of being sensitive while dealing with such issues.

The WCC also highlighted the workplace sexual harassment angle.

“During the... #IndianMeToo movement that started in 2018, allegations were made against Vairamuthu by 17 women and most refer to workplace sexual harassment,” the collective said in a statement on Facebook.

Women from the Malayalam film industry have also reacted sharply to Vairamuthu’s selection.

“ONV sir is our pride. His contribution as a poet and lyricist is incomparable; how it has nourished our culture. Our hearts and minds have benefited through his body of work. This is exactly why it is immense disrespect to give such an honour in his name to an accused of sexual assault crimes,” Parvathy posted on Instagram on Thursday.