Under pressure, Sahitya Akademi calls meeting to discuss issue of writers returning awards

NEW DELHI: The Sahitya Akademi has convened an emergency meeting of its executive board — comprising 24 writers representing different Indian languages — on October 23, to discuss the issue of a string of writers returning their Akademi awards in protests against ‘growing intolerance’ in society and the Centre’s ‘indifference’ towards it.

The debate grew stronger on Monday after Salman Rushdie joined the growing chorus of protests. At least 17 authors have till now returned their awards to protest against the killing of writer MM Kalburgi and lynching of a Muslim in Uttar Pradesh’s Dadri over his alleged consumption of beef.

Official sources said the emergency meeting was made possible only because of the pressure exerted on the body by executive board members such as N Gopi, Krishnaswamy Nachimuthu and Narahalli Balasubramanya among others.

“We had held a meeting to condemn the attack on Kalburgi in September in Bangalore but the Centre did not do anything in Delhi. Many of the writers are of the opinion that the Akademi's reaction to an assault on rationalists should not have ended with a condolence meeting in one state,” Balasubramya, a Kannada writer, also part of the Akademi board said. He added, “at a time like this when there is a threat to freedom of expression, the Akademi should back the writers.”

Many of the other writers on the board that ET spoke to said it was time the body expressed itself clearly. Sahitya Akademi president Vishwanath Pratap Tiwari said the meeting has been called to discuss the resignations of the writers.

“I respect the writers for the position they have taken. But it is also important to note that the Akademi has never taken a political stand. Not even during the Emergency, anti-Sikh riots or Babri Masjid demolition. Promotion of literature is our aim and the Akademi cannot get into political activities.”

Kashmiri writer Ghulam Nabi Khayal and Kannada writer-translator Srinath DN returned their awards on Monday.