puducherry noted tamil writer and sahitya akademi award winner prapanchan died in a private medical college and hospital in puducherry on friday after a prolonged battle with lung cancer he was 73 and is survived by three sons the last rites will be held on mondaydoctors who treated him said prapanchan died of complications arising out of squamous cell carcinoma a type of lung cancer and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease copd prapanchan was diagnosed with lung cancer and copd a year ago he was undergoing treatment in private hospitals in chennai and puducherry he had undergone five cycles of chemotherapy in the puducherry hospital his condition deteriorated despite medical attention he had undergone a cardiac bypass surgery two years agoprapanchan is the pseudonym of s vaidyalingam who was born in in puducherry on april 27 in 1945 he began his career as a tamil teacher in thanjavur after graduating in tamil literature from a college there prapanchan bagged the sahitya akademi award in 1995 for his novel vaanam vasapadum set in the times of ananda ranga pillai 17091761 a dubash in the service of french east india companyhe also worked as a journalist for tamil weekly magazines his first short story enna ulagamada was published in a tamil magazine in 1961 prapanchan who was influenced by the selfrespect movement had written 46 books they have been translated into many indian and foreign languagespuducherry chief minister v narayanasamy pmk founder leader s ramadoss and a host of other leaders condoled his death