South Korean author wins Nobel Lit prize Han kang, best known for her book The Vegetarian, on Thursday became the first Asian woman and the first South Korean writer to win the Nobel literature Prize ‘an innovator in contemporary prose’ kottayam l friday l October 11, 2024 l `9.00 l PAGES 16 l city EDITION “She has a unique awareness of the connections between body and soul, the living and the dead, and in a poetic and experimental style, has become an innovator in contemporary prose,” Nobel committee said Won booker in 2016 for the vegetarian Han began her writing career in 1993 by publishing several poems Han’s The Vegetarian, which tells the story of an ordinary woman’s decision to stop eating meat and the consequences, won the Booker Prize in 2016 CHENNAI ■ MADURAI ■ VIJAYAWADA ■ BENGALURU ■ KOCHI ■ HYDERABAD ■ VISAKHAPATNAM ■ COIMBATORE ■ KOZHIKODE ■ THIRUVANANTHAPURAM ■ BELAGAVI ■ BHUBANESWAR ■ SHIVAMOgGA ■ MANGALURU ■ TIRUPATI ■ TIRUCHY ■ TIRUNELVELI ■ SAMBALPUR ■ HUBBALLI ■ DHARMAPURI ■ KOTTAYAM ■ KANNUR ■ VILLUPURAM ■ KOLLAM ■ TADEPALLIGUDEM ■ NAGAPATTINAM ■ THRISSUR ■ KALABURAGI Ratan cremated, his legacy lives S u d h i r S u r ya w a n s h i @ Mumbai It’s rare for a businessman’s demise to draw a spontaneous outpouring of emotion from the lay public. But when the person in question is visionary industrialist Ratan Tata, 86, their sense of void is quite understandable, as his work touched millions of lives. Thousands of people thronged the lawns of the National Centre for Performing Arts at Nariman Point on Thursday to pay their homage to him. Known as much for his philanthropy as for his bold acquisitions abroad, he infused the quality of trust and integrity into the Tata brand. His people-centric approach propelled him to realise his dream of an under `1 lakh car in the massy Nano. Though it failed the Buzz on Noel market test, his reputation of as successor having his heart in the right place remained intact. Also, Many consider Noel the Nano plant site in Singur Tata, stepbrother shook up West Bengal politics of Ratan Tata, as like never before. the heir apparent He was known to chase ideof the Tata Group. as, not wealth. Under his leadHe is a trustee in ership, the salt-to-software two of the most behemoth grew more than 70 influential of these times in size. trusts — the Sir The last rites were perDorabji Tata Trust formed at Mumbai’s Worli and the Sir Ratan Crematorium with full state Tata Trust | P12 honours in the presence of Union home minister Amit Shah, his cabinet colleague Piyush Goyal, Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde, his deputy Devendra Fadnavis, and Congress leader and former chief minister Sushilkumar Shinde. Shah stood in for Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who is had to fly to Laos to attend the ASEAN-India and East Asia summits. Earlier in the day the Maharashtra cabinet rec, ommended to the Centre to consider honouring Ratan Tata with a posthumous Bharat Ratna. The state government as well as a few others declared a day of mourning and the national flag was flown at half-mast across government offices. The Mumbai Police paid tribute to Tata with a gun salute. Family and friends as well as top officials of Tata group joined the ceremony . Wayanad relief fund: Take some positive He was A figure of calm & clarity action, HC tells Centre Tata Sons Chairman N Chandrasekaran, Neville Tata and others during last rites of industrialist Ratan Tata, at Worli Crematorium in Mumbai on Thursday | PTI R atan Tata’s leadership transcends a critical boardroom decision or a perthe boundaries of business; he sonal challenge, Ratan Tata remained a shaped not only the Tata Group but figure of calm and clarity He never al. also everyone fortunate enough to lowed the weight of a situation to cloud work with him. He was a visionhis judgement. This ability to ary, the first to push Tata into stay composed under pressure the global stage with bold moves is something I’ve tried to emulike acquiring Jaguar Land Rovlate in my own career. His wiser and Corus Steel. It wasn’t just dom wasn’t forceful but gentle, about expanding—it was about and his approach inspired consetting a precedent for what Infidence. There was never a modian businesses could achieve Ajay Piramal ment where I didn’t feel heard Chairman, Piramal internationally He had the fore. or supported when seeking his sight to think beyond borders, Group. He is also on the guidance. board of Tata Sons but what made him truly stand One of the most remarkable out was the way he did it—with traits Ratan Tata displayed unwavering integrity always prioritis- was his deep commitment to fairness. , ing values over profit. No matter how challenging the deciIn the many years I’ve been associ- sion, he was guided by principles, enated with the Tata Group, his influence suring that everyone was treated with has been ever-present. Whether it was respect and dignity Even when he was . in a position of immense power, he never took advantage of it. He led with a quiet strength that made people want to follow him, not because they had to, but because they trusted him. That trust came from his consistency—he never wavered in his ethics or his belief in doing the right thing. But beyond his business acumen, it was his humanity that touched me most. His humility was perhaps his greatest strength. Despite his monumental achievements, Ratan Tata was never above sitting down and listening to anyone who had something to say no , matter their rank or title. He was open to new ideas, always curious, and willing to embrace innovation. His genuine interest in people and technology made him a forward-thinking leader.  Continued on: P12 E x p r e s s N e w s Se r v i c e @ Kochi The Kerala High Court on Thursday directed the Union government to come up with some positive action to release funds from the NDRF and Prime Minister’s National Relief Fund (PMNRF) to extend help to Wayanad landslide victims. “We need to get Wayanad back on track as soon as possible,” said the court, asking Additional Solicitor General A R L Sundaresan, who was present in the court, to use his good offices and get some positive actions from the Centre on the issue, including bank loan waiver. The court issued the order on a suo motu case relating to the prevention and management of natural disasters registered in the wake of the Wayanad landslides. The state submitted that two parcels of land measuring 65.41 hectares in Vythiri taluk have been identified for the reconstruction of  model townships to accom● More on P4 modate the disaster-affected families.