Writer and activist A. Marx said mere issuing of statement is not enough
Gnani Sankaran
Chennai: Writers across the country returning their Sahitya Akademi awards has stirred a debate of a different kind in Tamil Nadu. Sixteen Akademi award winners from the state in a strongly worded statement have criticised the Akademi for not openly condemning the killing of Kannada writer Kalburgi. Their decision to keep their awards has evoked mixed response from both authors and activists alike.
“We consider that the general statement issued by the Akademi is inadequate when the situation has come to such a pass where writers are facing threats to life, leave alone the fight for freedom of expression. Hence, we demand the Akademi to take a strong stand,” the writers said.
The joint statement was signed by Indira Parthasarathy, Ki. Rajanarayanan, Ponneelan, Prapanchan, Ashokamitran, Thoppil Mohamed Meeran, ‘Kavikko’ Abdul Rahman, Vairamuthu, Erode Tamilanban, Mu. Metha, Melanmai Ponnusamy, Puviarasu, Nanjil Nadan, Su. Venkatesan, D. Selvaraj and Poomani.
Writer and activist A. Marx said mere issuing of statement is not enough. “When the Sahitya Akademi award winning writers across the country are returning their awards, Tamil writers are keeping their award safe and issuing a mere statement,” he said.
Condemning the growing intolerance and communalism, he said “It is like a cultural revolution in the country. Returning of awards has created a huge impact across the world and it will help exert pressure on the Centre.”
However, writer Gnani Sankaran said issuing a joint statement is a form of protest like returning the awards. “Even this gesture of writers coming together and issuing a statement is a way of expressing their solidarity and anguish.”
Melanmai Ponnusamy, founding member of Tamil Nadu Progressive Writers and Artistes Association, said he did not see returning of award as a form of protest. “If the award was presented by the central government, then returning of the award will be a weapon to protest. I see the award presented by the Akademi, which is a statutory body, as a form of recognition,” he told Deccan Chronicle.
( Source : deccan chronicle )
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