THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Plagiarism allegations against social activist and author Deepa Nisanth is the hottest news now. She is alleged to have plagiarised a poem written by Kalesh Som, a young poet. Let’s get into the details of this allegation.

“I published a poem under the title ‘Angane irikke marichu poyi njan/nee’ on March 4, 2011 in my blog. “The poem received great response. It gave me lot of friends. The poem was later published on ‘Madhyamam’. It was later translated to English by C.S. Venkiteswaran on A.J Thomas’s recommendation. It was published on Indian Literature. The poem was included in ‘Shabdamahasamudram’ which was published in 2015. Yesterday I saw the same poem with minor changes published under another person’s authorship. It came on AKPCTA’s journal. I felt dejected, what else”, Kalesh Som posted on his Facebook wall.

Deepa Nisanth’s explanation

Deepa Nisanth came up with an explanation of her own on her Facebook profile. “Today I’ve received a new title ‘poem thief’. Many are saying that I’ve copied and published a poem written by S. Kalesh. My haters are celebrating this. Those who believe that I am a person who wanted to be acknowledged as a writer by copying a poem that gets published in a service journals can well may believe that. Proofs are the most important thing. One cannot prove the emotions behind a writing. Poem is not my permanent forte. I am not known for my poems. If someone thinks that I’ll do something for a service journal that is going to question my integrity, may continue that way. But don’t think I’ll fall down. I’ve gone through plenty of accusations and ridiculing in my life. I consider this as another episode of the same. I’ll continue my life and my political life with my head held high. I thank everyone who are with me at this difficult juncture. There won’t be any further explanation on this”, she posted on Facebook.

The issue through the eyes of a journalist

Journalist K.P Rasheed came up with a reply against Deepa Nisanth on his Facebook profile. “I refrained from speaking on the poem plagiarism issue involving Deepa Nisanth and S. Kalesh. I thought that this might result in cyber bullying and trials on Facebook. I was waiting for Deepa’s explanation on this.

She indeed wrote on her Facebook, which says “Poem is not my forte. I am not known for my poems”, “If someone thinks that I’ll do something for a service journal that is going to question my integrity, may continue that way”, “There won’t be any further explanation on this” and so on. She is firm on her stand that it’s her own work. In short she is trying to make a fraud out of Kalesh. If this is her reply for the allegations against her, she must prove it. Her replies are vague. Those replies points that she is helpless and without any proof, one that proves that she is the author or something that proves Kalesh plagiarised it. Instead of coming with such a response she should have accepted that it cannot be proved. But she is trying to frame Kalesh as the culprit here. What right does she have to frame a poet who is known for great works.

Now onto Kalesh. He is backing up his claims with proofs. He published his poem in 2011 and later in 2015 on book named ‘Shabdasamudram’. His readers can verify this. I remember that the poem was amongst the most read and discussed at that time. I remember that my friend Smitha Meenakshi wrote another poem as a reply for Kalesh’s work. Kalesh came up with a decent response for her work as well. I still remember that his poem was later published on ‘Madhyamam’. Not only that I can recall many poems of Kalesh. Regular readers of poem will have all those in their minds. Kalesh is a poet who innovates himself.

These are facts. How could someone frame a poet like Kalesh with plagiarism without any solid proofs?

You may say that you have not copied his work. But don’t come up with baseless allegations against someone who lives with his poems. You are insulting, not only the poet but also the community that reads his works.

I don’t care if you steal. But I cannot accept your plot to make the accuser the accused.

If you have some sort of integrity, come out and apologise. Get to know Kalesh by reading his works”, Rasheed wrote on Facebook.

Deepa should apologise

Teacher Likhitha Das said that Deepa Nisanth should apologise. She wrote on Facebook that the poem was clear case of plagiarism. “Writers are indebted to the public. As a writer, I know the hardships behinf creating something. I hope Deepa teacher knows it. There are people who consider our literature as important as air. It’s our responsibility to respect them. Writers like you and me craft a generation. As Kalesh came up with proofs, it’s your liability to say sorry. It’s not right to respond in a way that you did on Facebook”, she wrote on Facebook.

More headache for Deepa Nisanth

In the meantime, the representatives of AKPCTA journal have confirmed to a media that it’s Deepa Nisanth who sent them the poem that later got published.

Unexpected twist

There is also another expected twist to this saga. According to an online media, it was M.J.Srichithran who is behind this. Allegedly, he wrote this poem and published under Deepa Nisanth’s name. Deepa hasn’t denied this yet. However the same report says that Deepa Nisanth has confirmed this.