Joe D’Cruz Age, Wife, Family, Biography & More
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Age: 54 Years
Hometown: Tirunelveli, Tamil Nadu
Wife: Sasikala D'Cruz
Bio/Wiki | |
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Full name | R. N. Joe D'Cruz [1]Joe D'Cruz's LinkedIn Account |
Profession(s) | Novelist, Ship Management |
Physical Stats & More | |
Eye Colour | Black |
Hair Colour | Salt and Pepper |
Career | |
Novels | • Aazhi Soozh Ulagu (2005) • Korkai (2009) • Asthinapuram (2016) • Verpiditha Vilai Nilangal (2017) • Kavanam Thedum Kadaloram (2019) • Padaipugalin Uraiyadal (2020) |
Awards | • 2013: Sahitya Akademi Award for his novel 'Korkai' • 2024: Padma Shri in the field of literature and education |
Personal Life | |
Date of Birth | Year, 1969 |
Age (as of 2023) | 54 Years |
Birthplace | Uvari, district Tirunelveli, Tamil Nadu, India |
Nationality | Indian |
Hometown | Uvari, district Tirunelveli, Tamil Nadu, India |
School | He studied in the schools of the Uvari and Idaiyangudi villages of Tamil Nadu. |
College/University | • Loyola College, Chennai, Tamil Nadu • St. Joseph's College, Tiruchirapalli, Tamil Nadu |
Educational Qualification | • M.A.(Economics) at Loyola College, Chennai, Tamil Nadu • M.Phil at St. Joseph's College, Tiruchirapalli, Tamil Nadu |
Relationships & More | |
Marital Status | Married |
Family | |
Wife/Spouse | Sasikala D'Cruz |
Children | He has two children. |
Parents | |
Other Relatives | Grandfather- Thomas Andrew |
Some Lesser Known Facts About Joe D’Cruz
- R. N. Joe D’Cruz is an Indian novelist, commercial shipping professional, and documentary filmmaker. He primarily works in the Tamil film industry.
- He belongs to a ‘Roman Catholic Paravar,’ in Uvari, a coastal village in the Tirunelveli district of Tamil Nadu.
- After completing his formal education, he joined the commercial shipping industry.
- He has served as the President of NTC Logistics Private Limited and Vice President of J.M. Baxi & Company for more than three decades.
- In 2004, Joe D’Cruz released a collection of Tamil poems called ‘Pulambazhkal.’ His writing mainly explores the history and lives of Parathavar fishermen in Tamil Nadu.
- In 2005, his novel ‘Aazhi Soozh Ulagu’ received the Tamil Nadu State Government Literary Award and the Tamil Literary Garden Award. This novel focuses on the lives of fishermen who used catamarans, and their conversion to Christianity.
- Joe D’Cruz made a documentary film titled ‘Vidiyatha Pozhuthukal’ in 2008.
- In 2009, his novel ‘Korkai’ was published and won the Sahitya Akademi Award. The novel depicts an ancient port city governed by the Early Pandyan Kingdom. The novel centres around the 20th-century community of pearl and conch divers residing there.
- In 2010, he released another documentary named ‘Towards Dawn,’ which primarily focused on the hardships faced by Tamil fishermen.
- Joe D’Cruz opposed the Kudankulam nuclear power project in 2011 and stated concerns about its impact on the livelihoods of fishermen.
- He is associated with the Samskrita Bharati, a non-profit organisation for protecting the Sanskrit language, as its state president in Tamil Nadu.
- In 2013, he contributed dialogues for the Tamil movie “Maryan.”
- In 2014, Joe D’Cruz expressed support to the BJP PM candidate, Narendra Modi, on his Facebook page, during the 2014 Lok Sabha elections and received threats and hate mail for the same. [2]The Indian Express
- During the same year, the translation of his book “Aazhi Soozh Ulagu” from Tamil to English was halted by its publisher S. Anand, publisher of Navayana Publishing, and the translator V. Geetha, a feminist writer and translator, in retaliation for supporting Modi during the 2014 Lok Sabha elections.
- Soon after Joe D’Cruz received backlash from his colleagues, he stated the reason behind the cancellation of his book’s translation in a media conversation. He said,
It is because of my opinion expressed on Facebook as Narendra Modi is the right choice for PM. I think their actions show the form of narrow mentality.”
- In 2017, he voiced concerns about the proposed ‘International Container Transhipment Terminal’ at Enayam, Kanyakumari district in Tamil Nadu. According to him, the development of existing ports must be a priority over starting new port projects in India.
- In the same year, Joe D’Cruz was appointed as a member of the National Shipping Board of the Ministry of Shipping by the Government of India.
- Joe D’Cruz, alongside writer Aravindan Neelakandan, often supports the efforts of Gopi Shankar Madurai, an Indian LGBTQA+ activist.
- Joe once served on the advisory board of Srishti Madurai, an LGBTQA+ student volunteer group, under Anjali Gopalan and Bracha Ettinger.
- In 2017, he became a strong critic of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and stated in a media conference that Narendra Modi‘s grassroots rise did not guarantee strong leadership. He blamed the BJP for strengthening caste systems and Manu Smriti.
- Thereafter, he once criticised the BJP for empowering political forces which prefer violence over beef consumption. [3]The Hindu
- Later, Joe D’Cruz blamed Prime Minister Narendra Modi for neglecting the poor. He also opposed the BJP government’s proposed ‘Maritime Container Terminal’ at Enayam in Tamil Nadu. He claimed that this project was like a natural disaster despite claims of it being a natural harbour.
- In 2018, he was pictured supporting the ‘Sampark Se Samarthan’ (Contact for Support) programme led by PM Narendra Modi.
- Joe D’Cruz is often spotted smoking cigars on various occasions.
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