Sahitya Akademi president breaks silence, expresses ‘pain’ on recent events

The Akademi can not simultaneously draw its legitimacy of objective and existence by celebrating writers like Kaliburgi, while shying clear of standing in solidarity when they are targeted.

When he opened the door, he was shot at close range; his wife and daughter took him to the local hospital, where he was declared dead.

After tribal activist Ganesh Devy, another Gujarati litterateur poet Anil Joshi returned his Sahitya Akademi Award. “As a protest to the attack on free thinking and food liberty, I am herewith returning the award”, said Tarikeri, who was conferred the award in 2010. Their first line of attack – that this was an elitist protest – was swiftly silenced when it became clear how many states, languages and classes these writers represent.

Eminent writer and columnist Paul Zacharia on Monday slammed communal, divisive designs of the BJP-led government at the Centre but said writers’ dissent against fascist regimes was better expressed in writing itself than in returning awards constituted by the government-run academies. Therefore, I chose to return the award.

Poet and critic Adil Jussawalla, who won the Sahitya Akademi honour for his 2014 work, also urged the literary body to condemn the “unacceptable censoring” of writers by “violentaly intolerant groups”.

Indian culture minister Mahesh Sharma, howe feels the writers are returning their awards in haste.

She was awarded the Padma Shri in 2009. “It was a well-organised event and that is why we needed time to do so”.

These eminent writers have already stated their concerns in statements sent to you as well as through media interviews and discussions. He has also authored an autobiography, “Gandhi Classu”. “Adverse regional and religious polarization is happening in entire India and Jammu and Kashmir is no exception”, he added.

Ms Sahgal spoke up on October 6, calling this the unmaking of India: “The Prime Minister remains silent about this reign of terror”.

The author was speaking on his twelfth novel, “Two Years Eight Months and Twenty-Eight Nights”, a book which is, in large parts, about the clash between reason and unreason and has characters who lament Bombay being replaced by an alien, unrecognizable Mumbai.

They also said that the recent lynching of a Muslim man on suspicion of eating beef showed that a communal atmosphere was being built up.

On Tuesday, the wave was supported by noted author Salman Rushdie who called the situation “alarming”.