An Indian poet is in the UAE to receive the ‘Green Voice Award’ conferred on him by an organisation based in Abu Dhabi.
Pavithran Theekkuni from Kerala has struggled to make ends meet and once even attempted suicide with his family. He has worked as a construction site worker, fishmonger and coconut plucker, too. He wandered around in railway stations and bus stands reciting poems in the hope to sell his poetry books. This is the first time, his words have earned him some cash.
Jaffar Thangal of Green Voice, said the organisation has decided to give Theekkuni an award comprising a cash prize of Indian Rupees 200,000.
The poet’s struggles started early on in life. A good student, Theekkuni could not complete his graduation due to financial constraints at home.
His dad was mentally ill.
A few years back, depressed that he could not feed his wife and three-year-old daughter on Onam day, he slept on the rail tracks ready to die along with his family. However, a call from his child changed his mind at the nick of the moment and he decided to face life. He slept in bus depots and railway stations trying to sell his poetry books to feed his family.
He tried working as a construction worker but people were wary of his capabilities as they did not expect a poet to do hard labour. Then he became a fishmonger.
Meanwhile, he even took up a part-time job as a cinema project operator with the Kerala State Chalachithra Academy for Rs350 per day - a job that he got due to appeals made by hundreds of school students, who heard him recite poems in their schools. However, he was fired within a few months.
He has published several books of poetry. DC Books – his publisher – gave him Rs50,000 as advance to build a house, after his friends and well-wishers pooled in and helped him buy a plot of land. He took a loan of Rs100,000. But now the bank is on his case as he has not been paying installments.
Theekkuni is happy now as his words have begun fetching him money. He looks forward to selling his books and re-paying the loan and living a family life.
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