Tamil Nadu CM Vijay condoles Sahitya Akademi awardee Poomani’s demise, announces state honours for final rites

CHENNAI: Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Joseph Vijay on Monday expressed grief over the demise of noted Tamil writer and Sahitya Akademi Award recipient Poomani and announced that state honours would be accorded during his final rites.

In a post on X, Vijay mourned the passing of Poolithurai Manickavasagam, popularly known by his pen name Poomani, and described him as one of the most significant voices in Tamil literature.

“The news of the passing of Thiru. Poolithurai Manickavasagam, known in the literary world as Poomani, a writer who received the Sahitya Akademi Award and a significant creator in the Tamil literary sphere, brings immense sorrow,” Vijay said.

சாகித்ய அகாதமி விருது பெற்ற எழுத்தாளரும், தமிழ் இலக்கிய உலகின் குறிப்பிடத்தக்க படைப்பாளருமான திரு. பூலித்துரை மாணிக்கவாசகம் எனும் பூமணி அவர்கள் காலமானார் என்ற செய்தி மிகுந்த வேதனையளிக்கிறது.

திரு. பூமணி அவர்கள் கரிசல் நிலத்தின் மண் வாசனையும், அடித்தட்டு மக்களின் வாழ்வின்…

— CMOTamilNadu (@CMOTamilnadu) July 13, 2026

Paying tribute to the celebrated author, the Chief Minister said Poomani’s works, rooted in the lives of ordinary people and the history of Tamil Nadu’s dryland regions, had made an enduring contribution to Tamil literature. “His works, filled with the scent of the soil of dry lands, the nuanced realities of the lives of the common people, and profound testimonies of history, established him as an important creator,” he said.

Vijay also recalled that Poomani received the Sahitya Akademi Award for his novel Annati and noted that the acclaimed film Asuran, based on his novel Vekkai, introduced his literary work to a wider audience.

“Receiving the Sahitya Akademi Award for his novel *Annati* stands as the highest recognition of his literary stature. Furthermore, the film *Asuran*, based on his novel *Vekkai*, brought the reach of his writing to the world’s attention,” he added.

Describing Poomani’s death as an “irreplaceable loss” to the Tamil literary world, Vijay conveyed his condolences to the writer’s family, relatives, friends and members of the literary community.

Announcing state honours for the late writer’s final journey, the Chief Minister said, “In tribute to Thiru. Poomani’s contributions to the field of literature, state honours will be accorded to his final journey.” (ANI)