The prime minister, in his speech, said Kurup is a great poet and writer, and felt honoured to present an award to such a literary genius.
Jnanpith awardee and eminent Malayalam poet, lyricist and environmentalist O N V Kurup passed away at a private hospital in Thiruvananthapuram on Saturday following cardiac arrest. He was 84.
Eminent Malayalam litterateur O N V Kurup and noted Urdu poet Akhlaq Khan Shahryar have been chosen for the Jnanpith Award for the year 2007 and 2008 respectively for their contribution to literature.
Has a distinguished poet's memory been sullied, asks K Kunhikrishnan?