'Award Rejected as a Mark of Respect for Constitution'

BENGALURU: Kannada writer G Rajashekar, who refused the Karnataka Sahitya Academy award citing “continued atmosphere of intolerance“, said he is doing so to mark his allegiance to the country's Constitution.

Speaking to ET from Udupi, the noted literary critic said, “My action is not going to change anything immediately. I am just doing this as part of my duty as a citizen“. He was chosen for the work on the basis of his work Bahuvachana Bharata, a collection of his articles on contemporary politics and literature.

“In 2015, writers rejected awards or returned them, as a reaction to intolerance and violence in the country.In 2017, I see that the situation has not only continued, but worsened,“ said the 70year-old writer, giving examples of the mob lynching of Mohammad Akhlaq at Dadri, Uttar Pradesh, to the attack on minority communities in Coastal Karnataka. Although Karnataka is ruled by the Congress government, the social and academic laws of the state is governerd by right-wing forces, Rajashekar said. “They will do anything to ensure that dissent does not arise at all,“ he said.“Secular and democratic forces in India are very weak right now. Accepting an award under such circumstances is ludicrous and absurd.“

On Tuesday , the Academy announced honorary awards to five writers including Nagesh Hegde, HS Parvathi, OL Nagabhushanaswamy , Balasaheb Lokapura and Basavaraja Kukkarahalli for their lifetime contribution to Kannada literature.