Artist Murtaza Danish Husaini returns award

NEW DELHI: Joing the rank of dissenting voices, Dastangoi artiste Murtaza Danish Husaini today said he is returning the Sangeet Natak Akademi award as it is becoming “increasingly difficult” to speak up in public places without being “harangued”. He is the second performing artiste to return the award from the national academy of music, dance and drama. Over the past few weeks at least 34 writers have handed over their Sahitya Akademi awards in the aftermath of the killing of Kannada writer M M Kalburgi and Dadri lynching incident, among other controversial issue. “There is a growing atmosphere of intolerance, it is becoming increasingly difficult to speak up in public places without being harangued,” Husaini said.