Ilankaiyarkon
இந்தப் பக்கத்தை தமிழில் வாசிக்க: இலங்கையர்கோன்
Ilankaiyarkon (T. Sivagnanasundaram) (September 6, 1915 - October 14, 1961) was one of the pioneers in short story writing in Sri Lankan Tamil literature. He contributed to literary reviews and plays also.
Birth, Education
Ilankaiyarkon (born T. Sivagnanasundaram) was born on 6th September 1915 at Erlalai, Jaffna. Ilankaiyarkon completed matriculation and cleared the Intermediate exam in Economics conducted by London Recruitment Board. He then graduated from Sri Lankan Law College.
Personal Life
Ilankaiyarkon practiced as a lawyer for a brief period. He also worked as a Divisional Revenue Officer in Trincomalee.
He married Chellamma in 1936.
Literary Life
Ilankaiyarkon began his writing at the age of 18. He begin by translating modern English short stories from to Tamil. It taught him forms of short story. Ilankaiyarkon's first story Maria Magdalene [1] was published in 1938 in Kalaimagal magazine, Tamil Nadu. Ilankaiyarkon continued to write in magazines like Elakesari. His stories such as Velli Paadharasam[2] (Silver Mercury), Manitha Kurangu (Ape), Chakravakam, Machaal[3], Naadodi, Vanjam (Deceit), Kadarkarai Kilinchalkal (Beach Clams), etc., were of pioneering nature in the Eelam short story tradition.
Ilankaiyarkon was greatly influenced by Ku. Pa. Rajagopalan’s writings and himself explored the subtlety of men women relationships in his writings similar to Ku. Pa. Raa. His style is of that carries the stories through conversations. They were inherently serene. Kalaimagal Editor Ki. Va. Jagannathan offered the foreword for his first collection of stories Velli Paadharasam. Critics like V. Ramasamy Iyengar and K. N. Subramaniam in Tamil Nadu considered him a rare talent. Literary magazines such as Manikkodi, Sooravali, Saraswathi and Sakthi published his stories. However, Ilankaiyarkon was recognized only in a small circle of active readers of modern literature in Tamil Nadu. In Sri Lanka, not many recognised his writings and was largely overlooked.
In the latter part of his writing career, Ilankaiyarkon involved in writing plays. His plays like Pacchondhi (Chameleon) and London Kandaiya were staged and received well. But these plays were not of the same literary calibre as his stories.
Demise
Ilankaiyarkon passed away at the age of 46 on October,14 1961.
Literary Significance
Though there are many pioneering writers in Sri Lanka, the stories written by Ilankaiyarkon shines till today in subtlety and beauty. His writings express only the most subtle inner feelings and are solely poetic in nature. One of his earliest works written at a young age, Velli Paadharasam is an example, in which he leaves the identity of the paranormal apparition, to the imagination of the readers. In this, a fiery image that appears in their imagination that rises and falls instantly, is one of the exceptional short stories written in the world of those times.
However, Ilankaiyarkon did not consider continuing writing stories. They were unnoticed in Sri Lanka, and he was recognized only in a small circle of active readers of modern literature in Tamil Nadu. Hence, his attention turned to writing plays. But his early demise limited his literary contributions. However, his Velli Paadharasam can be considered one of the most important compilations in Tamil literature.
Eelam literary environment was soon subjugated by political and social issues. Works that blatantly depicted political-social thoughts were noticed by readers and admired by critics. Since direct depiction inevitably became the nature of Eelam literary tendency, Ilankaiyarkon was not noted or followed even at later times. "Had Ilankaiyarkon contributed more and had received literary acceptance from readers and critics in the Eelam context, the short story renaissance created by Manikkodi magazine in Tamil Nadu, would have replicated in Sri Lanka too " says Jeyamohan.
Books
Ilankaiyarkon books are archived in digital library[4]
Short Stories
- Velli Paadharasam
Plays
- Pacchondhi
- London Kandaiya
- Vidhaanaiyar Veetil
- Mister Kugadasan
- Madhavi Madanthai
Translations
- Mudharkaadhal (Translated novel)
References
- Repository of Ilankaiyarkon books
- Article about Ilankaiyarkon in Thendral online magazine
- Velli Paadharasam Repository
- Two pioneers of Eelam short stories Ilankaiyarkon and sahitya ratna scholar K. Sachithanandan
Footnotes
✅Finalised Page
