Abusaeed at 05:48, 1 May 2025

2025-05-01T05:48:43Z

New page

{{Short description|Tamil writer}}
{{EngvarB|date=January 2014}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=January 2014}}
{{Infobox person
| name = R. N. Joe D'Cruz
| image = Joe D'cruz.jpg
| birth_name =
| birth_date = 1969
| birth_place = [[Uvari]], [[Tirunelveli District]], [[Tamil Nadu]], [[India]]
| death_date =
| other_names =
| occupation = [[Novelist]], [[Ship management]]
| spouse = Sasikala
| children =
| parents =
| yearsactive =
}}

'''R. N. Joe D'Cruz''' is a [[Tamil language|Tamil]] writer, novelist and documentary film director from [[Tamil Nadu]], India. He won the [[Sahitya Akademi award]] in 2013 in the [[List of Sahitya Akademi Award winners for Tamil|Tamil language]] category for his novel ''Korkai''. He is the Tamil Nadu state president of [[Samskrita Bharati]].<ref>{{cite news | url=http://www.newindianexpress.com/states/tamil_nadu/TN-Sanskrit-Learning-Gets-Face-in-Joe-DCruz/2015/09/06/article3012913.ece | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151118180222/http://www.newindianexpress.com/states/tamil_nadu/TN-Sanskrit-Learning-Gets-Face-in-Joe-DCruz/2015/09/06/article3012913.ece | url-status=dead | archive-date=18 November 2015 | title = TN Sanskrit Learning Gets Face in Joe D'Cruz|work = New Indian Express | date = 6 September 2015}}</ref><ref>{{cite news | url=http://www.thehindu.com/news/cities/chennai/people-have-been-misled-on-sanskrit-for-60-years/article7643813.ece | title = People have been misled on Sanskrit for 60 years|work = The Hindu | date = 12 September 2015}}</ref>

Joe D'Cruz has also been a managerial-executive in the shipping industry for a long time and is currently a member of the National Shipping Board of the Ministry of Shipping, Government of India.<ref name="thehindu.com">{{Cite web|url=https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/tamil-nadu/joe-dcruz-appointed-to-shipping-board/article19948086.ece|title=Joe D’Cruz appointed to Shipping Board|first=B.|last=Kolappan|date=30 October 2017|access-date=7 April 2020|via=www.thehindu.com}}</ref>

== Life ==
Joe D'Cruz was born in a [[Roman Catholic]] [[Paravar]] family in [[Uvari]], a coastal village in [[Tirunelveli District]] of [[Tamil Nadu]]. He did his schooling in Uvari and [[Idaiyangudi]].<ref>{{cite web | url=http://www.vikatan.com/anandavikatan/En-Vikatan---Madurai-Edition/17525-.html | title=என் ஊர்! | publisher=[[Ananda Vikatan]] | date=28 March 2012 | access-date=19 December 2013 | language=ta}}</ref> He graduated with an M.A.(Economics) at [[Loyola College, Chennai]] and did his M.Phil at [[St. Joseph's College, Tiruchirapalli]]. He is married to Sasikala and has two children.<ref name="Dina Thanthi">{{cite news | url=http://www.dailythanthi.com/taxonomy/term/92253 | title=ஆர்.என்.ஜோ–டி–குரூஸ் | work=[[Dina Thanthi]] | date=19 December 2013 | access-date=19 December 2013 | language=ta}}</ref> He has been working in the shipping industry for more than two decades.

== Works ==
Joe D'Cruz published a Tamil poetry compilation, ''Pulambazhkal'', in 2004. His [[Sahitya Akademi award]]-winning novel ''Korkai'' was originally published in 2009 and prior to that his 2005 novel ''Aazhi Soozh Ulagu'' was awarded the Tamil Nadu state government literary award<ref>{{cite news | url=https://www.deccanchronicle.com/131219/news-current-affairs/article/joe-d%E2%80%99cruz-wins-sahitya-akademi-award | title=Joe D'Cruz wins Sahitya Akademi award | work=Deccan Chronicle | date=19 December 2013 | access-date=19 December 2013}}</ref> and [[The Tamil Literary Garden|Tamil Literary Garden]] award. Both his novels are based on history and the lives of Parathavar fishermen of Tamil Nadu.<ref>{{cite web | url=http://www.thehindu.com/todays-paper/tp-national/tp-tamilnadu/sailing-high-as-a-writer/article2291463.ece | title=Sailing high as a writer | work=The Hindu | date=25 July 2011 | access-date=18 December 2013}}</ref> The first novel ''Aazhi Soozh Ulagu'' dealt with the lives of fishermen who used [[catamaran]]s and their [[Paravar#Arrival of the Portuguese and Catholicism|conversion to Christianity]]. The second novel titled ''Korkai'' refers to [[Korkai]], an ancient port city ruled by [[Early Pandyan Kingdom]].<ref>{{cite web | url=http://archaeologyindia.com/korkai.asp | title=KORKAI | publisher=[[Archaeological Survey of India]] | access-date=20 December 2013 | archive-url=https://archive.today/20131220122946/http://archaeologyindia.com/korkai.asp | archive-date=20 December 2013 | url-status=dead }}</ref> It is about the 20th century community of pearl and conch divers there.

He also filmed documentary films such as ''Vidiyatha Pozhuthukal'' (2008), ''Towards Dawn'' (2010).<ref name="Dina Thanthi" /> His films mostly based on sufferings of Tamil fishermen. He wrote the dialogue for Tamil movie [[Maryan (film)|Maryan]]. He opposed [[Kudankulam Nuclear Power Plant|Kudankulam nuclear power project]], arguing it will affect the livelihood of the fishermen.<ref name="tnie">{{cite web | url=http://www.newindianexpress.com/cities/chennai/article1403605.ece | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131223033402/http://www.newindianexpress.com/cities/chennai/article1403605.ece | url-status=dead | archive-date=23 December 2013 | title=The Parathavas have come full circle | work=The New Indian Express | date=2 January 2013 | access-date=20 December 2013}}</ref><ref>{{cite web | url=http://www.thehindu.com/news/national/sons-of-the-sea-show-true-grit/article4154435.ece | title=Sons of the sea show true grit | work=The Hindu | date=2 December 2012 | access-date=20 December 2013}}</ref>

He has also expressed his reservations on the upcoming International Container Transhipment Terminal at Enayam, [[Kanyakumari District]]. He is in favour of developing existing ports over initiating new port projects in India.<ref name="thehindu.com"/>

==Support for LGBTQIA+ Community==
Joe D'Cruz along with writer [[Aravindan Neelakandan]] supported the initiatives of [[Gopi Shankar Madurai]] and served on the advisory board of Srishti Madurai under [[Anjali Gopalan]], [[Bracha Ettinger]].<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/madurai/Its-a-great-honour-to-be-awarded-for-book-on-gender-variants-Gopi-Shankar/articleshow/38769130.cms|title=It's a great honour to be awarded for book on gender variants: Gopi Shankar | Madurai News - Times of India|website=The Times of India|access-date=7 April 2020}}</ref>

== Views ==
The Indian Express<ref name="iemodi"/> reported that Joe D'Cruz received threats and hate-mail after he expressed support for the BJP PM Candidate in the 2014 Lok Sabha elections, Mr. [[Narendra Modi]], on his Facebook page. A translation of his work ''‘Aazhi Soozh Ulagu’'' into English, was also halted in retaliation by his publisher Navyana and the translator Geetha.<ref name="hindumodi"/><ref name=modidna/><ref name=hindunavayana/><ref name=navayana/><ref name=navayana2/>

He turned as a strong critic of the [[Bharatiya Janata party]], three years later.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/tamil-nadu/joe-dcruz-appointed-to-shipping-board/article19948086.ece|title=Joe D’Cruz appointed to Shipping Board|first=B.|last=Kolappan|date=30 October 2017|via=www.thehindu.com}}</ref><ref name="interview" /> In an interview with ''[[The Hindu]]'', he claimed to have realised that because Modi rose up through the grassroot levels, it was a myth that he would become a strong Prime Minister, and that the BJP leadership appears to be focused in reinforcing the caste structure and [[Manu Smriti]]. He also criticized the BJP for emboldening political forces to kill people for eating beef.<ref name="interview">{{Cite web|url=https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/tamil-nadu/modi-govt-bolstering-caste-structure/article19440502.ece|title=‘Modi govt. bolstering caste structure’|first=B.|last=Kolappan|date=6 August 2017|via=www.thehindu.com}}</ref> In June 2017, he claimed that there is "No place for poor" in the agenda of Prime minister Narendra Modi.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.newindianexpress.com/states/tamil-nadu/2017/jun/26/no-place-for-poor-in-pm-agenda-says-joe-d-cruz-1620890.html|title=No place for poor in PM agenda, says Joe D’ Cruz|website=The New Indian Express}}</ref> He criticized the proposed Maritime Container Terminal at Enayam by the BJP government and said the promoters of the project were claiming that the Enayam coastline was a natural harbour but the coast is vulnerable to natural calamities.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.newindianexpress.com/states/tamil-nadu/2016/oct/20/joe-dcruz-not-on-bjp-enayam-page-1529957.html|title=Joe D'Cruz not on BJP Enayam page|website=The New Indian Express}}</ref>

==Bibliography==

===Novels===
*''Aazhi Soozh Ulagu''
*''Korkai''
*''Asthinapuram''
*''Verpiditha Vilai Nilangal''
*''Kavanam thedum Kadaloram''
*''Padaipugalin Uraiyadal''

== References ==
{{reflist|colwidth=30em|refs=
<ref name="iemodi">{{cite web | url= http://indianexpress.com/article/india/politics/celebrity-tamil-novelist-supports-narendra-modi-gets-threat/ | title=Celebrity Tamil novelist supports Narendra Modi, gets threat | work=The Indian Express | date=13 April 2014 | access-date=13 April 2014}}</ref>

<ref name="hindumodi">{{cite web | url= http://www.thehindu.com/news/national/tamil-nadu/promodi-stand-stops-dcruz-book-release/article5909141.ece | title=Pro-Modi stand stops D’Cruz book release | work=The Hindu | date=14 April 2014 | access-date= 14 April 2014}}</ref>

<ref name=modidna>{{citation | url = http://www.dnaindia.com/india/report-it-is-fundamentalism-of-the-people-who-wear-liberal-mask-joe-d-cruz-on-cancellation-of-book-translation-due-to-his-support-for-narendra-modi-1978449 | title = It is fundamentalism of the people who wear liberal mask: Joe D'Cruz on cancellation of book translation due to his support for Narendra Modi | author=Mehernaz Patel | newspaper = DNA | date = 15 April 2014}}</ref>

<ref name=hindunavayana>{{citation | url = http://www.thehindu.com/news/national/tamil-nadu/navayana-defends-dcruz-book-release-decision/article5909147.ece | title = Navayana defends D’Cruz book release decision
| newspaper = The Hindu | date = April 14, 2014}}</ref>

<ref name=navayana>{{citation | url = https://navayana.org/blog/2014/04/13/the-unraveling-of-joe-dcruz/?v=c86ee0d9d7ed | title = The Unraveling of Joe D’Cruz | publisher = Navayana | access-date = April 6, 2020 }}</ref>

<ref name=navayana2>{{citation | url = http://navayana.org/the-storm-in-the-dcruz-ocean/ | archive-url = https://archive.today/20140415130736/http://navayana.org/the-storm-in-the-dcruz-ocean/ | url-status = dead | archive-date = 2014-04-15 | title = The Storm in the D’Cruz Ocean | publisher = Navayana }}</ref>
}}

== External links ==
* {{IMDb name|id=5647217|name=R.N. Joe D'Cruz}}
{{Padma Shri Award Recipients in Literature & Education|state=collapsed}}
{{Sahitya Akademi Award For Tamil}}
{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:D'Cruz, Joe}}
[[Category:Living people]]
[[Category:Tamil-language writers]]
[[Category:Recipients of the Sahitya Akademi Award in Tamil]]
[[Category:St Joseph's College, Tiruchirappalli alumni]]
[[Category:People from Tirunelveli district]]
[[Category:Writers from Tamil Nadu]]
[[Category:Loyola College, Chennai alumni]]
[[Category:1969 births]]
[[Category:Recipients of the Padma Shri in literature and education]]

Joe D'Cruz - Revision history

Abusaeed at 05:48, 1 May 2025