Signing you in

Account subscription benefits alongside Premium Stories, Editorials, Opinions and more. Unlock these with Subscription

The View From India Looking at World Affairs from the Indian perspective.

First Day First Show News and reviews from the world of cinema and streaming.

Today's Cache Your download of the top 5 technology stories of the day.

Data Point Decoding the headlines with facts, figures, and numbers

Health Matters Ramya Kannan writes to you on getting to good health, and staying there

The Hindu On Books Books of the week, reviews, excerpts, new titles and features.

C. Selvam began writing in 2019 with a pen and notebook given to him by Mukilan, a fellow inmate and an activist who was at the forefront of protests against Sterlite and other campaigns. | Photo Credit: R. Vengadesh

Oru Thooku Kaithiyin Vaakumoolam, a prison memoir by death-row convict C. Selvam, is a testament to the transformative power of reading, even on a mind hardened by violence.

“I started reading in the early years of my prison life. But I turned my attention to serious literature and novels after we were sentenced to death. Reading serious literature is different from reading ordinary books. I can read 400 pages of ordinary books, but only 200 pages of serious literature,” said Mr. Selvam, whose book has been selected for the Iyal Award, which is instituted by the Canada-based Tamil Literary Garden. The award was presented to him in absentia on October 18, 2026.

Iyal Award, which is instituted by the Canada-based Tamil Literary Garden was presented to author and death-row convict C. Selvam in absentia on October 18, 2026, for his memoir ‘Oru Thooku Kaithiyin Vaakumoolam’ | Photo Credit: Special Arrangement

Mr. Selvam and his two associates, Sheik Meeran and Radhakrishnan, were sentenced to death for murdering Ayyavu, a notorious gangster, inside a court in Nagercoil in 1994. Though their death sentences were later commuted to life imprisonment, they would have to spend the rest of their lives in prison. They have already completed 32 years behind bars.

The murder was an act of revenge. The rivalry turned violent after Ayyavu and his associates killed 17 cows belonging to Mr. Selvam’s family in Puthukudiyiruppu, one of the most feared areas of Kanniyakumari district, after failing to find him. Enraged, Mr. Selvam and his friends retaliated by killing Ayyavu inside the Nagercoil court. The incident sent shockwaves across the State.

“I have the blood of the past on my hands. Nowhere in the book have I claimed that I am innocent or that false cases were foisted on me. The period, the place I lived in, the politics of the day, the circumstances, and my age would all have played a role in the tragedies. But I hope I have become a good man,” he told The Hindu ahead of the award ceremony.

“Oh, people living in the light, I take you to a world surrounded by darkness. Only sharp eyesight can spot the light in that dark world, but not its heat.”

Thus begins Mr. Selvam’s introduction to his chilling account. The manuscript, written in his neat handwriting, is still in his possession. The maturity of his language, both spoken and written, and the change in his outlook speak volumes about the transformative power of sustained reading.

Mr. Selvam, who surrendered to the police in 1994, began by reading small books, particularly those on Periyar, the founder of the Dravidar Kazhagam, and his works. Fellow inmates, including Mukilan and Pozhilan, who were detained for their political activities and affiliations, introduced him to the world of books.

“But I never imagined that books would reshape my thinking and reconstruct my personality. I had heard about the healing and transformative power of books. Today, however, I stand before you as an example,” said Mr. Selvam, who had not studied beyond Class VIII.

It was in 1998, after his death sentence was confirmed, that he plunged headlong into serious literature and fiction by the great masters. Egged on by Mukilan, an activist who was at the forefront of protests against Sterlite and other campaigns, Mr. Selvam began writing, albeit half-heartedly. He received further encouragement from writer and scholar S.V. Rajadurai.

When told that his book could become one of the finest works of prison literature, Mr. Selvam smiled and asked, “Have you read the prison memoir of the late communist leader K. Baladhandayutham? In my opinion, it is the best book.”

Comments have to be in English, and in full sentences. They cannot be abusive or personal. Please abide by our community guidelines for posting your comments.