Team Herald
PONDA: The controversy surrounding former MLA Vishnu Wagh’s poetry book ‘Sudhirsukt’, has now reached Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar, with a noted writer hoping that he will take a right decision in this regard.
Goan litterateur N Shivdas said, “The matter has reached Chief Minister and we hope he will take the right decision. Some fear that if Vishnu’s book gets an award then all his books will be popular literature like that of Nyaneshwari written by Saint Nyaneshwar of Maharashtra. It is through this fear that some are opposing to the same. In fact, this book will end the discrimination practiced in Goa for several decades by a higher community. The Bahujans are seeking level-playing field now.”
The book was caught in a row when Konkani writer Sanjiv Verekar prematurely made a public disclosure that the jury, in its confidential deliberation, had selected the book for Goa Konkani Akademi (GKA) award.
Meanwhile, publisher Hema Naik said, “He (Wagh) has the freedom to write what he wants, and there is no basis to the allegation that the book targets a specific caste.”
“When Vishnu came to me with four books to publish including “Sudhirsukt”, he was well aware that there would be wild fire, and he had assured me then that he would defend her.”
“I was actually depressed with since August 15 when the row erupted. But now am happy that today writers too find nothing wrong in Wagh’s intention,” Naik added.
