Noted Tamil writer Ki. Rajanarayanan died in Puducherry last  night after a brief illness. He was 98. Fondly called as KiRa,  he was admired as a folklorist and father of Karisal (black soil land) Literature. He was a recipient of Sahitya Academy award for his novel 'Gopalapurathu Makkal' in the year 1991. He also served as a member of Sahitya Akademi General Council and advisory board from 1998 to 2002.<br />''<br />''<span style="color: #222222;">Lt. Governor of Puducherry, Tamilisai Soundararajan and  Chief Minister, N. Rangasamy expressed condolences on his demise.</span><br />