{"id":1837,"date":"2026-02-02T14:38:44","date_gmt":"2026-02-02T14:38:44","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/sayanthan.com\/?p=1837"},"modified":"2026-02-02T14:38:47","modified_gmt":"2026-02-02T14:38:47","slug":"fear-and-the-desire-to-escape-are-worthy-of-respect","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/sayanthan.com\/?p=1837","title":{"rendered":"Fear and the Desire to Escape Are Worthy of Respect"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">An Interview with SAYANTHAN by ANNOGEN, editor of\u00a0<em>Akazh<\/em>\u00a0magazine\u00a0; Translated by JEGADEESH KUMAR <br><br><strong>Originally published in <a href=\"https:\/\/vishnupuramusa.org\/2026\/01\/25\/fear-and-the-desire-to-escape-are-worthy-of-respect-sayanthan\/\">vishnupuramusa.org<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"1024\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/sayanthan.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/WhatsApp-Image-2026-01-10-at-21.39.29.webp?fit=1024%2C1024&amp;ssl=1\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-1838\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/sayanthan.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/WhatsApp-Image-2026-01-10-at-21.39.29.webp?w=1024&amp;ssl=1 1024w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/sayanthan.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/WhatsApp-Image-2026-01-10-at-21.39.29.webp?resize=300%2C300&amp;ssl=1 300w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/sayanthan.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/WhatsApp-Image-2026-01-10-at-21.39.29.webp?resize=150%2C150&amp;ssl=1 150w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/sayanthan.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/WhatsApp-Image-2026-01-10-at-21.39.29.webp?resize=768%2C768&amp;ssl=1 768w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/sayanthan.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/WhatsApp-Image-2026-01-10-at-21.39.29.webp?resize=700%2C700&amp;ssl=1 700w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1000px) 100vw, 1000px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Original Tamil interview\u00a0<\/strong><a href=\"https:\/\/akazhonline.com\/?p=11255\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\"><strong>\u0b85\u0b9a\u0bcd\u0b9a\u0bae\u0bc1\u0bae\u0bcd, \u0ba4\u0baa\u0bcd\u0baa\u0bbf\u0baf\u0bcb\u0b9f\u0bc1\u0bae\u0bcd \u0bb5\u0bbf\u0bb0\u0bc1\u0baa\u0bcd\u0baa\u0bc1\u0bae\u0bcd \u0bae\u0bb0\u0bbf\u0baf\u0bbe\u0ba4\u0bc8\u0b95\u0bcd\u0b95\u0bc1\u0bb0\u0bbf\u0baf\u0ba4\u0bc1 : \u0b9a\u0baf\u0ba8\u0bcd\u0ba4\u0ba9\u0bcd<\/strong><\/a>(<strong>Tamil online magazine,\u00a0<em>Akazh<\/em>, Jan 2026<\/strong>)<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Sayanthan<\/strong>&nbsp;is an Eelam Tamil writer. Through his novels&nbsp;<em>Aaravadu, Aathirai, and Ashera<\/em>\u2014key works of Eelam war literature\u2014he gained wide recognition among readers. Saynthan lives in Switzerland.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Annogen:<\/strong>&nbsp;<em>Aaravadu<\/em>&nbsp;came out, and a few years later&nbsp;<em>Aathirai<\/em>&nbsp;appeared. After a considerable gap came&nbsp;<em>Ashera<\/em>, and then, after another long stretch,&nbsp;<em>Thisai Onbadhu<\/em>. The intervals between your novels are always quite large. How do these in\u2011between periods pass for you? What kind of difficulties do you face as a writer during those stretches?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Sayanthan:<\/strong>&nbsp;Not just novels, my writing in general tends to have long gaps. After writing the short story&nbsp;<em>Pooranam<\/em>&nbsp;in 2019, I still haven\u2019t written another short story. Even between novels, there\u2019s almost a five\u2011year gap. But I don\u2019t really face \u201cdifficulties\u201d in those intervals. I don\u2019t romanticize writing to the extent of saying I stagger around unable to put down the burden on my head, or that I write in the agony of creation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">So why do I write? Because I like writing. That\u2019s all. I write in the way I enjoy writing. If readers enjoy it too, I\u2019m happy. And it\u2019s not just writing, every kind of literary activity appeals to me. When I\u2019m not writing, I\u2019m doing something of that sort. I read. I\u2019m interested in translations, especially African writing. These days I enjoy taking Tamil works into Sinhalese. I publish Sinhalese books. And if nothing else, at the very least I\u2019ll fiddle with the layout design of the&nbsp;<em>Agazh<\/em>&nbsp;website, poke at something like a busybody. That too is a kind of literary activity, isn\u2019t it? I said five years between novels, that includes the writing period.&nbsp;<em>Aathirai<\/em>&nbsp;took three years.&nbsp;<em>Thisai Onbadhu<\/em>&nbsp;took two. Looking at it that way, I\u2019m a bit slow. But that\u2019s not a big problem, is it?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Annogen:<\/strong>&nbsp;Each of your novels uses a different language\u2011texture. The lively register of&nbsp;<em>Aaravadu<\/em>&nbsp;isn\u2019t there in&nbsp;<em>Aathirai<\/em>.&nbsp;<em>Ashera<\/em>&nbsp;is different again. In&nbsp;<em>Thisai Onbadhu<\/em>, one can sense the style of&nbsp;<em>Aaravadu<\/em>&nbsp;returning. Does the theme choose the language? Or do you find themes to suit the language? Put simply, do you move toward the form, or does the form move toward you?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Sayanthan:<\/strong>&nbsp;I should say, this fellow may look innocent, but\u2026 You know very well that mockery, teasing, sarcasm, irony, and counter\u2011jokes are my natural mode. In&nbsp;<em>Aaravadu<\/em>&nbsp;that came out beautifully. Because&nbsp;<em>Aaravadu<\/em>&nbsp;was written through external events, without touching or probing the inner lives of the characters, that language fits well. Back then I didn\u2019t know that the thoughts that ripple through the mind in the split second before a gun barrel touches the forehead could be written for ten pages without shrinking.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Then came&nbsp;<em>Aathirai<\/em>, a vast tragedy. When telling the stories of the oppressed, the marginalized, you can\u2019t joke and play. It wouldn\u2019t be ethical.&nbsp;<em>Ashera<\/em>&nbsp;too is the story of warped minds. Though there are dark jokes here and there, the language is intense.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">When&nbsp;<em>Thisai Onbadhu<\/em>&nbsp;began to gather as a story, when the events it wove began to spread in imagination, it felt like a less intense, slightly mischievous language would suffice. Though there is a tightness somewhere deep inside,&nbsp;<em>Thisai Onbadhu<\/em>&nbsp;is not a story of great sorrow or sharp pain. At the same time, it is a story where the mind wanders for ten pages between the moment a gun barrel is raised and the moment it touches the forehead.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">These days, leaving aside external events and moving closer to examine human minds feels exciting. I\u2019ve developed an interest in investigating the characters\u2019 brains with my writing, like a detective. In another sense, after&nbsp;<em>Aathirai<\/em>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<em>Ashera<\/em>, I wanted to write a story where no bomb explodes. That too is why I wrote&nbsp;<em>Thisai Onbadhu<\/em>. To answer your question, the theme chooses the language. And the differences in language, form, and technique from novel to novel give each one its own distinctiveness.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Annoge:<\/strong>&nbsp;How did the core of&nbsp;<em>Thisai Onbadhu<\/em>&nbsp;form? What kind of preparation did you do to expand its scope?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Sayanthan:<\/strong>&nbsp;The novel began with a chance encounter with a Tamil youth. Even before that, my mind kept nudging me, what if I wrote a story set outside Sri Lanka? I tried that in&nbsp;<em>Ashera<\/em>, but despite my plan it drifted back to Eelam.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">So that accidental meeting sketched a complete story\u2011map outside Sri Lanka within me. I began writing. After that I did the preparations the writing demanded, mostly geographical. Then, global geographies and historical sufferings that had no direct link to the story\u2019s core began to connect naturally. That was important.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Annogen:<\/strong>&nbsp;In&nbsp;<em>Aathirai<\/em>, the landscape descriptions were filled with fine, precise observations, trees, plants, birds.&nbsp;<em>Thisai Onbadhu<\/em>&nbsp;moves entirely through Europe. Was it difficult to bring the same precision here?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Sayanthan:<\/strong>&nbsp;I\u2019m glad you noticed that about&nbsp;<em>Aathirai<\/em>. Writing a known landscape and writing an unknown one, both have challenges. There will be gaps. Filling those gaps with imagination is what makes one a fiction writer. That\u2019s how I wrote about Ukraine and Russia. Writing cold and darkness as two accompanying characters in the novel was not difficult for me at all. Because here, in Europe, those two exist as daily curses that slowly kill me. And writing about an unfamiliar landscape has an advantage: We must carve that land within us before shaping it in our imagination.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">When I wrote&nbsp;<em>Aaravadu<\/em>, a critic said, \u201cIn Alaveddy, the place you mention doesn\u2019t have a wall, there\u2019s only a fence.\u201d To persuade someone through words a wall once stood in Alaveddy, especially if they\u2019ve never been there, that is the power of fiction.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Annogen:<\/strong>&nbsp;The protagonist crosses so many obstacles to migrate. Can we reduce his reason to simply an aspect of his national identity?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Sayanthan:<\/strong>&nbsp;We give many reasons for migration, war, fear for life, things like that. But if you think about it, even without any of that, someone might migrate simply because, \u201cI want to live a life I like. That\u2019s all.\u201d Just as an engineer migrates, just as a doctor migrates, why shouldn\u2019t anyone else desire to migrate? There\u2019s nothing wrong with that. The story is about how national identity influences such a desire.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Annogen:<\/strong>&nbsp;Contemporary Eelam novels often rely on remembrance. They begin ten years away from the present or unfold at a distance from the contemporary moment.&nbsp;<em>Thisai Onbadhu<\/em>&nbsp;is set in the present. It touches many layers, global right\u2011wing resurgence, anti\u2011immigrant sentiment, attitudes toward refugees. What\u2019s most striking is how the novel shows that even though we group people under \u201crefugees,\u201d the reception changes depending on which country they come from and what color they are. This feels like the novel\u2019s central conflict. Do you agree?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Sayanthan:<\/strong>&nbsp;I can agree. But at the most fundamental level, human fear and the desire to escape are worthy of respect. They must be honored. We must not only sing stories of child heroes, but of adult cowards as well. We can draw a line where the European mindset (regarding the refugee issue) stands in the way of their escape.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Annogen:<\/strong>&nbsp;Eelam novels are often judged as individual chapters of one large novel. They even end up fitting that mold. How does one tell a story beyond that challenge?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Sayanthan:<\/strong>&nbsp;Personally, I do want to step outside that. After writing&nbsp;<em>Aathirai<\/em>, I felt that strongly. That\u2019s one thing. But Eelam writers don\u2019t need to feel ashamed when asked, \u201cHow long are you going to keep writing about the Eelam war?\u201d As long as there are sorrows that haven\u2019t been cried out fully, crimes without justice, there will be stories that cannot be finished telling. \u201cTry living that life yourself,\u201d might come out as a writer\u2019s anger or as a plea. But it will come out.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Annogen:<\/strong>&nbsp;Your first novel is fifteen years old now. How do you understand literature today?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Sayanthan:<\/strong>&nbsp;I had been writing long before that novel. During the war, literature was introduced to us as: the Tigers are fighting a war, and stories, poems, plays, paintings are created to explain the justice of that war to the people. That\u2019s how it appeared to us. Anyone who was ten years old in the nineties would have experienced this.&nbsp;<em>Eezhanaatham<\/em>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<em>Velichcham<\/em>&nbsp;taught us exactly that. It took me a long time to step out of that and understand literature differently. Only after that did I shed many hesitations. To give a small example of what I mean: in&nbsp;<em>Ashera<\/em>, the \u201cKandan Karunai massacre\u201d carried out by the Tigers is described line by line. A friend asked, \u201cDid you really write that?\u201d I said, \u201cYes. If the writing demands it, I will write it.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">That is where I\u2019ve arrived now.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>An Interview with SAYANTHAN by ANNOGEN, editor of\u00a0Akazh\u00a0magazine\u00a0; Translated by JEGADEESH KUMAR Originally published in vishnupuramusa.org Original Tamil interview\u00a0\u0b85\u0b9a\u0bcd\u0b9a\u0bae\u0bc1\u0bae\u0bcd, \u0ba4\u0baa\u0bcd\u0baa\u0bbf\u0baf\u0bcb\u0b9f\u0bc1\u0bae\u0bcd \u0bb5\u0bbf\u0bb0\u0bc1\u0baa\u0bcd\u0baa\u0bc1\u0bae\u0bcd \u0bae\u0bb0\u0bbf\u0baf\u0bbe\u0ba4\u0bc8\u0b95\u0bcd\u0b95\u0bc1\u0bb0\u0bbf\u0baf\u0ba4\u0bc1 : \u0b9a\u0baf\u0ba8\u0bcd\u0ba4\u0ba9\u0bcd(Tamil online magazine,\u00a0Akazh, Jan 2026) Sayanthan&nbsp;is an Eelam Tamil writer. Through his novels&nbsp;Aaravadu, Aathirai, and Ashera\u2014key works of Eelam war literature\u2014he gained wide recognition among readers. Saynthan lives in Switzerland. Annogen:&nbsp;Aaravadu&nbsp;came out, [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"nf_dc_page":"","_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_feature_clip_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false},"categories":[46],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1837","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-46"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v28.7 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>Fear and the Desire to Escape Are Worthy of Respect - Sayanthan<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/sayanthan.com\/?p=1837\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Fear and the Desire to Escape Are Worthy of Respect - Sayanthan\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"An Interview with SAYANTHAN by ANNOGEN, editor of\u00a0Akazh\u00a0magazine\u00a0; Translated by JEGADEESH KUMAR Originally published in vishnupuramusa.org Original Tamil interview\u00a0\u0b85\u0b9a\u0bcd\u0b9a\u0bae\u0bc1\u0bae\u0bcd, \u0ba4\u0baa\u0bcd\u0baa\u0bbf\u0baf\u0bcb\u0b9f\u0bc1\u0bae\u0bcd \u0bb5\u0bbf\u0bb0\u0bc1\u0baa\u0bcd\u0baa\u0bc1\u0bae\u0bcd \u0bae\u0bb0\u0bbf\u0baf\u0bbe\u0ba4\u0bc8\u0b95\u0bcd\u0b95\u0bc1\u0bb0\u0bbf\u0baf\u0ba4\u0bc1 : \u0b9a\u0baf\u0ba8\u0bcd\u0ba4\u0ba9\u0bcd(Tamil online magazine,\u00a0Akazh, Jan 2026) Sayanthan&nbsp;is an Eelam Tamil writer. Through his novels&nbsp;Aaravadu, Aathirai, and Ashera\u2014key works of Eelam war literature\u2014he gained wide recognition among readers. Saynthan lives in Switzerland. Annogen:&nbsp;Aaravadu&nbsp;came out, [&hellip;]\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/sayanthan.com\/?p=1837\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Sayanthan\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2026-02-02T14:38:44+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2026-02-02T14:38:47+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/sayanthan.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/WhatsApp-Image-2026-01-10-at-21.39.29.webp?fit=1024%2C1024&ssl=1\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"1024\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"1024\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/webp\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"sayanthan\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"sayanthan\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"7 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\\\/\\\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"Article\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/sayanthan.com\\\/?p=1837#article\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/sayanthan.com\\\/?p=1837\"},\"author\":{\"name\":\"sayanthan\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/jav.zks.mybluehost.me\\\/website_88dabb25\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/746240710064c6c2e95e02ebc3274748\"},\"headline\":\"Fear and the Desire to Escape Are Worthy of Respect\",\"datePublished\":\"2026-02-02T14:38:44+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2026-02-02T14:38:47+00:00\",\"mainEntityOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/sayanthan.com\\\/?p=1837\"},\"wordCount\":1598,\"commentCount\":0,\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/jav.zks.mybluehost.me\\\/website_88dabb25\\\/#organization\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/sayanthan.com\\\/?p=1837#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/i0.wp.com\\\/sayanthan.com\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2026\\\/02\\\/WhatsApp-Image-2026-01-10-at-21.39.29.webp?fit=1024%2C1024&amp;ssl=1\",\"articleSection\":[\"\u0ba8\u0bc7\u0bb0\u0bcd\u0b95\u0bbe\u0ba3\u0bb2\u0bcd\"],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"CommentAction\",\"name\":\"Comment\",\"target\":[\"https:\\\/\\\/sayanthan.com\\\/?p=1837#respond\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/sayanthan.com\\\/?p=1837\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/sayanthan.com\\\/?p=1837\",\"name\":\"Fear and the Desire to Escape Are Worthy of Respect - Sayanthan\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/jav.zks.mybluehost.me\\\/website_88dabb25\\\/#website\"},\"primaryImageOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/sayanthan.com\\\/?p=1837#primaryimage\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/sayanthan.com\\\/?p=1837#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/i0.wp.com\\\/sayanthan.com\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2026\\\/02\\\/WhatsApp-Image-2026-01-10-at-21.39.29.webp?fit=1024%2C1024&amp;ssl=1\",\"datePublished\":\"2026-02-02T14:38:44+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2026-02-02T14:38:47+00:00\",\"breadcrumb\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/sayanthan.com\\\/?p=1837#breadcrumb\"},\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"https:\\\/\\\/sayanthan.com\\\/?p=1837\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/sayanthan.com\\\/?p=1837#primaryimage\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/i0.wp.com\\\/sayanthan.com\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2026\\\/02\\\/WhatsApp-Image-2026-01-10-at-21.39.29.webp?fit=1024%2C1024&amp;ssl=1\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/i0.wp.com\\\/sayanthan.com\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2026\\\/02\\\/WhatsApp-Image-2026-01-10-at-21.39.29.webp?fit=1024%2C1024&amp;ssl=1\"},{\"@type\":\"BreadcrumbList\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/sayanthan.com\\\/?p=1837#breadcrumb\",\"itemListElement\":[{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":1,\"name\":\"Home\",\"item\":\"https:\\\/\\\/jav.zks.mybluehost.me\\\/website_88dabb25\\\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":2,\"name\":\"Fear and the Desire to Escape Are Worthy of Respect\"}]},{\"@type\":\"WebSite\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/jav.zks.mybluehost.me\\\/website_88dabb25\\\/#website\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/jav.zks.mybluehost.me\\\/website_88dabb25\\\/\",\"name\":\"Sayanthan\",\"description\":\"\",\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/jav.zks.mybluehost.me\\\/website_88dabb25\\\/#organization\"},\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"SearchAction\",\"target\":{\"@type\":\"EntryPoint\",\"urlTemplate\":\"https:\\\/\\\/jav.zks.mybluehost.me\\\/website_88dabb25\\\/?s={search_term_string}\"},\"query-input\":{\"@type\":\"PropertyValueSpecification\",\"valueRequired\":true,\"valueName\":\"search_term_string\"}}],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"Organization\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/jav.zks.mybluehost.me\\\/website_88dabb25\\\/#organization\",\"name\":\"Sayanthan\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/jav.zks.mybluehost.me\\\/website_88dabb25\\\/\",\"logo\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/jav.zks.mybluehost.me\\\/website_88dabb25\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/logo\\\/image\\\/\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/i0.wp.com\\\/sayanthan.com\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2024\\\/03\\\/cropped-sayanthanlogo1.png?fit=373%2C171&ssl=1\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/i0.wp.com\\\/sayanthan.com\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2024\\\/03\\\/cropped-sayanthanlogo1.png?fit=373%2C171&ssl=1\",\"width\":373,\"height\":171,\"caption\":\"Sayanthan\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/jav.zks.mybluehost.me\\\/website_88dabb25\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/logo\\\/image\\\/\"}},{\"@type\":\"Person\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/jav.zks.mybluehost.me\\\/website_88dabb25\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/746240710064c6c2e95e02ebc3274748\",\"name\":\"sayanthan\",\"image\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/secure.gravatar.com\\\/avatar\\\/bd24af09acde975266be3e11616b04ab245ccc278b2b6b638e10497e58f830ad?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/secure.gravatar.com\\\/avatar\\\/bd24af09acde975266be3e11616b04ab245ccc278b2b6b638e10497e58f830ad?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/secure.gravatar.com\\\/avatar\\\/bd24af09acde975266be3e11616b04ab245ccc278b2b6b638e10497e58f830ad?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"caption\":\"sayanthan\"},\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/sayanthan.com\\\/?author=1\"}]}<\/script>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"Fear and the Desire to Escape Are Worthy of Respect - Sayanthan","robots":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"canonical":"https:\/\/sayanthan.com\/?p=1837","og_locale":"en_US","og_type":"article","og_title":"Fear and the Desire to Escape Are Worthy of Respect - Sayanthan","og_description":"An Interview with SAYANTHAN by ANNOGEN, editor of\u00a0Akazh\u00a0magazine\u00a0; Translated by JEGADEESH KUMAR Originally published in vishnupuramusa.org Original Tamil interview\u00a0\u0b85\u0b9a\u0bcd\u0b9a\u0bae\u0bc1\u0bae\u0bcd, \u0ba4\u0baa\u0bcd\u0baa\u0bbf\u0baf\u0bcb\u0b9f\u0bc1\u0bae\u0bcd \u0bb5\u0bbf\u0bb0\u0bc1\u0baa\u0bcd\u0baa\u0bc1\u0bae\u0bcd \u0bae\u0bb0\u0bbf\u0baf\u0bbe\u0ba4\u0bc8\u0b95\u0bcd\u0b95\u0bc1\u0bb0\u0bbf\u0baf\u0ba4\u0bc1 : \u0b9a\u0baf\u0ba8\u0bcd\u0ba4\u0ba9\u0bcd(Tamil online magazine,\u00a0Akazh, Jan 2026) Sayanthan&nbsp;is an Eelam Tamil writer. Through his novels&nbsp;Aaravadu, Aathirai, and Ashera\u2014key works of Eelam war literature\u2014he gained wide recognition among readers. Saynthan lives in Switzerland. Annogen:&nbsp;Aaravadu&nbsp;came out, [&hellip;]","og_url":"https:\/\/sayanthan.com\/?p=1837","og_site_name":"Sayanthan","article_published_time":"2026-02-02T14:38:44+00:00","article_modified_time":"2026-02-02T14:38:47+00:00","og_image":[{"width":1024,"height":1024,"url":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/sayanthan.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/WhatsApp-Image-2026-01-10-at-21.39.29.webp?fit=1024%2C1024&ssl=1","type":"image\/webp"}],"author":"sayanthan","twitter_card":"summary_large_image","twitter_misc":{"Written by":"sayanthan","Est. reading time":"7 minutes"},"schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"Article","@id":"https:\/\/sayanthan.com\/?p=1837#article","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/sayanthan.com\/?p=1837"},"author":{"name":"sayanthan","@id":"https:\/\/jav.zks.mybluehost.me\/website_88dabb25\/#\/schema\/person\/746240710064c6c2e95e02ebc3274748"},"headline":"Fear and the Desire to Escape Are Worthy of Respect","datePublished":"2026-02-02T14:38:44+00:00","dateModified":"2026-02-02T14:38:47+00:00","mainEntityOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/sayanthan.com\/?p=1837"},"wordCount":1598,"commentCount":0,"publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/jav.zks.mybluehost.me\/website_88dabb25\/#organization"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/sayanthan.com\/?p=1837#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/sayanthan.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/WhatsApp-Image-2026-01-10-at-21.39.29.webp?fit=1024%2C1024&amp;ssl=1","articleSection":["\u0ba8\u0bc7\u0bb0\u0bcd\u0b95\u0bbe\u0ba3\u0bb2\u0bcd"],"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"CommentAction","name":"Comment","target":["https:\/\/sayanthan.com\/?p=1837#respond"]}]},{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/sayanthan.com\/?p=1837","url":"https:\/\/sayanthan.com\/?p=1837","name":"Fear and the Desire to Escape Are Worthy of Respect - Sayanthan","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/jav.zks.mybluehost.me\/website_88dabb25\/#website"},"primaryImageOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/sayanthan.com\/?p=1837#primaryimage"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/sayanthan.com\/?p=1837#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/sayanthan.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/WhatsApp-Image-2026-01-10-at-21.39.29.webp?fit=1024%2C1024&amp;ssl=1","datePublished":"2026-02-02T14:38:44+00:00","dateModified":"2026-02-02T14:38:47+00:00","breadcrumb":{"@id":"https:\/\/sayanthan.com\/?p=1837#breadcrumb"},"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https:\/\/sayanthan.com\/?p=1837"]}]},{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/sayanthan.com\/?p=1837#primaryimage","url":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/sayanthan.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/WhatsApp-Image-2026-01-10-at-21.39.29.webp?fit=1024%2C1024&amp;ssl=1","contentUrl":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/sayanthan.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/WhatsApp-Image-2026-01-10-at-21.39.29.webp?fit=1024%2C1024&amp;ssl=1"},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https:\/\/sayanthan.com\/?p=1837#breadcrumb","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Home","item":"https:\/\/jav.zks.mybluehost.me\/website_88dabb25\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"Fear and the Desire to Escape Are Worthy of Respect"}]},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/jav.zks.mybluehost.me\/website_88dabb25\/#website","url":"https:\/\/jav.zks.mybluehost.me\/website_88dabb25\/","name":"Sayanthan","description":"","publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/jav.zks.mybluehost.me\/website_88dabb25\/#organization"},"potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/jav.zks.mybluehost.me\/website_88dabb25\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":{"@type":"PropertyValueSpecification","valueRequired":true,"valueName":"search_term_string"}}],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"Organization","@id":"https:\/\/jav.zks.mybluehost.me\/website_88dabb25\/#organization","name":"Sayanthan","url":"https:\/\/jav.zks.mybluehost.me\/website_88dabb25\/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/jav.zks.mybluehost.me\/website_88dabb25\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/","url":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/sayanthan.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/03\/cropped-sayanthanlogo1.png?fit=373%2C171&ssl=1","contentUrl":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/sayanthan.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/03\/cropped-sayanthanlogo1.png?fit=373%2C171&ssl=1","width":373,"height":171,"caption":"Sayanthan"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/jav.zks.mybluehost.me\/website_88dabb25\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/"}},{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/jav.zks.mybluehost.me\/website_88dabb25\/#\/schema\/person\/746240710064c6c2e95e02ebc3274748","name":"sayanthan","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/bd24af09acde975266be3e11616b04ab245ccc278b2b6b638e10497e58f830ad?s=96&d=mm&r=g","url":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/bd24af09acde975266be3e11616b04ab245ccc278b2b6b638e10497e58f830ad?s=96&d=mm&r=g","contentUrl":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/bd24af09acde975266be3e11616b04ab245ccc278b2b6b638e10497e58f830ad?s=96&d=mm&r=g","caption":"sayanthan"},"url":"https:\/\/sayanthan.com\/?author=1"}]}},"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","post_mailing_queue_ids":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/sayanthan.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1837","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/sayanthan.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/sayanthan.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sayanthan.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sayanthan.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=1837"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/sayanthan.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1837\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1839,"href":"https:\/\/sayanthan.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1837\/revisions\/1839"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/sayanthan.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=1837"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sayanthan.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=1837"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sayanthan.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=1837"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}