Writer Vaishakhan warns of superstition’s reach among educated public

Writer Vaishakhan has expressed concern about the spread of superstition among people who are otherwise scientifically aware. He said society appeared to be entering a period in which even people with a scientific outlook were consulting astrological ideas. He made the remarks in Thrissur after receiving the V.K.

Narayanabhattathiri Memorial Award from the Sree Kerala Varma Public Library, Wadakkanchery. The award recognises a senior writer’s overall contribution to literature. Vaishakhan said literature had previously played an important role in shaping social consciousness but argued that literary works were no longer receiving the sustained study they deserved.

He described reading as central to developing imagination and warned that inadequate or distorted interpretations could lead to works being misunderstood. He also objected to being repeatedly described as a railway-story writer. Of nearly 200 stories he had written, he said, only about 30 were railway stories.

He compared the label with the way writers who had written about the military were similarly categorised. Vaishakhan said the pursuit of positions and official titles could obstruct creative writing. He also pointed to the limited representation of women in the leadership of the Kerala Sahitya Akademi, noting that a woman had held its chair only once and calling for stronger demands for representation.

The award included a citation, plaque and books worth ₹10,000 selected by the recipient. During the event, Vaishakhan also released Geetha Divakaran’s short-story collection, Kaalathinte Kanalvazhikal.