Chelvy Thiyagarajah
Thiagarajah Selvanithy, also known as Selvi, was a Sri Lankan Eelam poet and a feminist. She was also an International PEN award winner in 1992. In 1991, She was abducted by the LTTE, which acknowledged her execution in 1997.
Early life
Selvi was born into a peasant family in Semamadu, a village about 80 miles south of Jaffna in the Northern Province of Sri Lanka. She was deeply influenced by the socio-political environment around her. From a young age, she showed a keen interest in literature and the arts, which led her to pursue studies in Theater and Drama Arts at the University of Jaffna. Her early life was marked by her commitment to social justice and her passion for using poetry and drama to highlight the struggles of her community. This dedication eventually led her to establish the feminist journal Tholi, through which she voiced the concerns and aspirations of Tamil women during the turbulent times of the Sri Lankan civil war.Activism
Selvi was a Tamil language poet from Jaffna in Sri Lanka.She was the founder of a feminist journal called Tholi and was a gifted young poet who in her work deplored the carnage brought about by the Sri Lankan civil war. Selvi also produced two plays, one about dowry payments and the other about rapes.
At the time of her kidnapping, Selvi was a third-year student in Theater and Drama Arts in the University of Jaffna.
Contributions
Selvi was also a playwright and actress. She served as the editor of the women’s literary magazine "Thozhi." Her poems were published in the anthology "Sollatha Sethigal," which featured voices of Eelam women poets. Her works appeared in various magazines such as "Manosai," "Mann," "Arangetram," "Osai," "Nangavathu Parimandam," "Sarinikar," and "Thisai." Some of her poems were translated into English and included in collections. She was a member of the Jaffna Women’s Study Circle, the Jaffna University Student Council, and the Literary Circle. She wrote two plays and was a member of the women’s center "Poorani Illam," which provided relief aid to those affected by the war and bombings in the north.Selvi received the prestigious ‘Poetry International Award’ from the Poets, Essayists, and Novelists organization.