Telugu writer, Urdu poet return Akademi awards

NEW DELHI: Two more litterateurs — Urdu poet Munawwar Rana and Telugu writer Katyayani Vidmahe — on Sunday joined the increasing list of authors, poets and critics, who have decided to return their Sahitya Akademi award to protest against “the growing intolerance in the country”.

Eminent author Kashinath Singh has protested the “irresponsible” remarks made by various Union ministers against fellow Sahitya Akademi award winning writers who have announced their decision to return the honours.

Singh said he will hand over the award he received for his ‘Rehan Par Raghu’ along with a cheque to the Akademi on Monday. He said, “Certain ministers from the Centre have made irresponsible remarks against the authors who returned their awards. The authors’ decision have not been taken seriously.”

Rana, 62, made a dramatic announcement of returning the award with cash prize of `1 lakh, while participating in a live debate telecast on ABP news. He also vowed not take any award from the government again.

“I come from Rae Bareli, politics runs through the street drains in my city but I never cared for it,” Rana said.

“Writers and litterateurs have been associated with one party or the other. Some are linked with the Congress while others are linked with the BJP. I am a Muslim and some may label me as a Pakistani. Many areas in this country do not have an electricity connection but Muslims here are linked to Dawood Ibrahim,” the poet said.

Telugu writer Katyayani Vidmahe said, “I am returning my award in dissent to a range of incidents like the silencing of Tamil writer Perumal Murugan, the killing of Kannada writer and Sahitya Akademi awardee MM Kalburgi. This is against the violence of writers and for the freedom of expression,” Vidmahe said.

(With PTI inputs)