With six more writers returned their Sahitya Akademi awards on Monday in protest against the organisation’s silence on the recent killing of a man in Dadri over rumours of cow slaughter and the murder of author M M Kalburgi, allegedly for his rationalist views.
The latest string of protests took to 21 the number of writers who have returned their awards to the Akademi since Hindi writer Uday Prakash first did so last month over the killing of Kalburgi. Kannada author Aravind Malagatti submitted his resignation from the Akademi’s General Council.
Those who returned their awards included Hindi poets Mangalesh Dabral and Rajesh Joshi; Vadodara-based Ganesh Devy; Konkani writer N Shivdas; Kannada writer Kum Veerabhadrappa; and Gurbachan Singh Bhullar, Ajmer Singh Aulakh, Atamjit Singh and Waryam Singh Sandhu from Punjab.
After tribal activist Ganesh Devy, another Gujarati litterateur poet Anil Joshi returned his award. Joshi on Monday wrote a letter to Sahitya Akdemi president Professor Viswanath Pratap Tiwari informing him about his decision to return the award. “In this atmosphere where scholars, rationalists and intellectuals are facing attacks, keeping Akademi's award at my home makes me feel guilty. I don't require oxygen in form of an award at his age, said Joshi, 76.
He had received the award in 1990 for his work `Statue' - a collection of essays. Joshi also took a dig at current Akademi president for being silent on the incidents. “The statement given by Akademi's president that he needs approval of the executive board to make a statement against the government is laughable to say the least. But even at this age I still have some skin left in my body to speak out,” said Joshi, who has spent most of his time in Mumbai.
Like others from the literary field, Joshi also spoke against the murders of Kannada writer Kalburgi and anti-superstition activists Narendra Dabholkar and Govind Pansare questioning the Akademi's silence. “Monday's assault on Sudheendra Kulkarni during a book launch at Mumbai is also an example of growing intolerance against diverse view,” said Joshi, who is known for his creations including `Maari koi Daalkhi Ma Pandada Nathi', `Hullad Geeto' and `Kanya Vidaay'.
“Creators are sons of Goddess Saraswati (the Goddess of knowledge) and Goddess Vagheshwari (the empress of speech). Attacks on scholars and intellectuals are a direct attack on the Goddess on the eve of Navratri,” said Joshi, whose creations have been sung by singer Manhar Udhas.
