No country can develop with a government that cannot respect artists: Shashi Deshpande

BENGALURU: In her powerful keynote address at the fourth edition of the Bangalore Literature Festival, author Shashi Deshpande said that homogenisation of opinions is a possible threat in India and that threat to freedom of expression is growing slowly and insidiously.

"People have asked me whether this is an Emergency-like situation. I think it is worse, because during the Emergency, we knew who we were fighting against," she said, adding that both the government and the protestors treated writers in the most derogatory manner by calling them 'political stooges' and 'manufacturers of revolt'. "Writers, however, are rarely political beings. And returning of awards is a sacrifice of our most prized possessions."

Speaking candidly, she said that the atmosphere to make India a mono-religious, mono-cultural country, of threatening lovers in the name of religion, blackening of a man's face for holding a Pakistani author's book launch and lynching someone for eating beef, is disturbing. "All this is never done by people in power, but by those who are never taken to task. As if they are following an unspoken policy." The government's interference in the functioning of cultural institutions, Deshpande continued, means the running down of both protests and the cause.

The veteran writer, who relinquished her post at the Sahitya Akademi General Council over intolerance, also expressed concern over writers getting polarised other over the 'award-wapsi' debate.

She urged them to understand that they belong to the same race. "Personal animosity has crept in the way of discussion. Each writer has taken his own decision instead of talking to each other and having a discussion," she said. "Writers need to understand that literature is inclusive, not exclusive. And the only curb on writing is the one that law imposes."

Answering why writers never returned their awards before, Deshpande admitted that they are perhaps already late in raising their voices.

Answering questions raised on why writers never retuned awards before, Deshpande admitted that they were already late in raising their voice. She also said that the Sahitya Akademi has failed the writers instead of supporting them to write without fear.