I read in eenaaDu that Sree kaaLeepaTnam raamaaraavu has been awarded
the 1995 kEndra saahitya akaaDemee avaarD for telugu, for his short story
(collection?) yaJnam. Sree Raamaaraavu is 70 years old.
kaLeepaTnam maasTaaru (Sri Ramarao is often referred to as
maasTaaru, he was a school teacher by occupation as well as being a
maasTaaru to many writers, particularly from uttara aandhra kOstaa
region), has written a small number of short stories. All of these
stories reflect the trails, tribulations, and occasionally the triumphs
of life among the middle and lower classes of the society. He is
especially known for his psychological insights as well as his incisive
analytical abilities regarding the social, economical and political
influences on daily life.
Many people (including me) consider his long story (novella)
'yaJnam' as a milestone and a masterpiece in Telugu literature. The
story of a village elders meeting to decide about the 'debt' payable by a
poor farmer to a poor merchant lender vividly discusses (not pedagogically)
the relevance of gaandhian idealism in a developing society with its
feudal traditions and capitalistic market forces. Besides a very
strong theme and compelling characters, the authors' ability to bring
alive the inherent tension in that village meeting is exceptional. If
you have not read it, please do.
His other famous stories include, caavu, bhayam, aarti, teerpu,
jeevadhaara, veeraDu-mahaaveeraDu. He is still an active participant in
the literary scene encouraging younger writers.
Congratulations to Sree raamaa raavu gaaru!
Regards. --- V. Chowdary Jampala