Sahitya Akademi's Yuva Puraskar Awardees Urge Tamil Nadu Govt To Extend 'Dream Home Scheme' Benefits

Since its inception in 2011, 14 Tamil writers have received Sahitya Akademi's Yuva Puraskar award, including one posthumously. 

The writers emphasised their own contributions to Tamil literature and highlighted the financial hardships many of them face.

Source : Special arrangement

The Tamil Nadu writers who received the Sahitya Akademi's Yuva Puraskar award have requested Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin to include them in the state’s "Dream Home" scheme. This "Dream Home" initiative, launched in 2021 as a tribute to former Chief Minister M Karunanidhi, currently honours award-winning Tamil writers by providing them a dream residence.

In their letter, the young writers praised the Dravidian model of governance and the initiative that benefits Sahitya Akademi Award-winning writers and other celebrated Tamil stalwarts, such as recipients of the Thakaisalthamizhar Award, Artist Porkizhi Award, and Tamilperaya Award.

The writers emphasised their own contributions to Tamil literature and highlighted the financial hardships many of them face. The letter noted: "Most of us come from backgrounds where significant portions of our income go towards the rent. This financial burden limits our ability to focus on writing and also force us to relocate frequently."

"Recognising our work and providing stable housing would empower us to contribute further to Tamil literature and culture for the next three decades," they asserted.

Underlined the societal challenges, the writers said: "Extending the dream housing scheme to Yuvapuraskar awardees would encourage the next generation of writers to pursue their craft with greater inspiration and stability."

Further, the writers urged Chief Minister Stalin to consider their plea and said that such recognition would pave the way for a more vibrant literary community. A Yuvapuraskar awardee Lakshmi Saravana Kumar remarked, "Providing a dream house to nationally and internationally recognised writers will support them in creating more inspiring works. Similarly, extending this initiative to include Sahitya Akademi Yuva Puraskar awardees will greatly encourage the next generation of writers."

The Dream Home scheme was launched on June 3, 2021, commemorating the birth anniversary of M. Karunanidhi. It benefits writers who have received prestigious awards, including the Sahitya Akademi Award and the Kalaignar Semmozhi Tamil Award. 

Meanwhile, the Sahitya Akademi's Yuva Puraskar is awarded annually to young writers under 35 for their contributions to Indian literature. Since its inception in 2011, 14 Tamil writers have received this prestigious honour, including one posthumously.