Vijayawada: Prominent artists from Telangana state are in support of the writers and artists giving back their Sahitya Akademi and Padma awards in protest against the government's “inaction” on the murder of rationalists and writers and against the Dadri lynching of a man suspected of having stored beef in his house.
Speaking to DC on the sidelines of an art show in the city, artists from Telangana said they would support the returning of awards. Sixty-six-year-old artist Bairu Raghuram who received several awards and international acclaim for his modern arts said, “We should support this protest. It is the duty of an artist to react to the problems in a society. We need to enlighten the society and stand by it when required”.
Mohommed Rustum, an award-winning artist for decades said, “Artists, writers and journalists carry a responsibility to inform society and they cherish freedom of expression. India is a nation of diverse people. Every culture and tradition must be allowed to flourish and treated equally. Someone trying to dominate others in the way of freedom of society.” Social justice is important and the scholars who took the initiative must be supported, he said.
