on twitter

REPERCUSSION Over 20 authors to return their Sahitya Akademi awards

I support Nayantara Sahgal and the many other writers protesting to the Sahitya Akademi. Alarming times for free expression in India.

- SALMAN RUSHDIE tweets as 21 writers return awards, quit Sahitya Akademi

NEW DELHI: Booker Prize winning author Salman Rushdie on Monday joined a growing chorus of protests by leading writers against rising intolerance in the country as more than 20 authors decided to return their Sahitya Akademi awards or quit their posts in the Akademi.

“I support Nayantara Sahgal and the many other writers protesting to the Sahitya Akademi. Alarming times for free expression in India,” he tweeted, referring to Jawaharlal Nehru’s 88-year-old niece, who was among the first to lodge her protest against the Akademi’s silence over repeated attacks on writers and rationalists raising their voice of dissent.

Since then, a string of writers have either surrendered their awards or quit the Akademi in protest against the murders of noted rationalists and the brutal killing of a 55-year-old Muslim in Dadri in Uttar Pradesh.

Four Sahitya Akademi winners from Punjab — novelist Baldev Singh Sadaknama as well as poets Jaswinder, Darshan Buttar and Surjit Patar — announced they were returning their awards in solidarity with other writers protesting against the government. “If there will be need, we will cross all barriers to save this country from religious fundamentalism,” said Jaswinder.

They joined Kashmiri writer Ghulam Nabi Khayal, Urdu novelist Rahman Abbas, Kannada writer-translator Srinath D N as well as Hindi writers Mangalesh Dabral and Rajesh Joshi who have backed the spiralling protest by litterateurs against the “communal” atmosphere following rationalist MM Kalburgi’s killing.

Kashmiri writer Ghulam Nabi Khayal said he wanted to join the protest the “growing communalism in the country in last one year’’.

“What has happened in last one year since the new government came to power hasn’t happened in the last 60 years. When have we heard that a person will be stoned to death for rumours of eating beef when in reality he had eaten mutton. Such kind of barbarism is unheard of in today’s time and age,’’ he told HT.

Punjabi author Waryam Sandhu and Kannada translator G N Ranganatha Rao said they had informed the Akademi about their decision to give back their awards.

Noted litterateur Rajesh Joshi described the situation as worse than the Emergency as he announced his decision to return his Sahitya Akademi Award to lodge his protest against what he said was the growing religious intolerance and elimination of those who wish to speak.

Some authors warned that minorities in the country today feel “unsafe and threatened”.

“After the Dadri lynching, the Urdu writing community has been quite unhappy. Therefore, I decided to return the award. There are some other Urdu writers who also want to join the protest. It is high time we stood up to the injustice surrounding us,” Urdu writer Rahman Abbas said.

Under fire from several quarters, the Akademi has called for a meeting of the Executive Board on October 23.

After the Dadri lynching, the Urdu writing community has been quite unhappy. Therefore, I decided to return the award. There are some other Urdu writers who also want to join the protest.

RAHMAN ABBAS, Urdu writer