Team Herald
PANJIM: A host of Konkani Sahitya Akademi awardees has questioned the silence of the Akademi – country’s National Academy of Letters against the rising intolerance and communal atmosphere over the killing of rationalist intellectuals in the recent past.
Addressing a joint press conference in the capital on Thursday, the authors, thinkers and poets revealed that some of them had decided to give away their awards alike many other award-winning writers in India but held it back pending meeting of the Akademi scheduled on October 23.
“Some of us wanted to return the awards but we have withheld the decision in view of Sahitya Akademi’s executive council meeting on October 23 where it is hopefully expected to condemn the cultural Talibanism in the country,” Datta Damodar Naik said.
Padmashree Maria Aurora Couto, who along with the 11 Konkani Sahitya Puraskar winners expressed solidarity with those who returned their awards, however stated that she never intended to return her award.
“It never struck me to give away Padmashree because it is a national honour and it gives me a platform to speak out… it is important to speak out against the shrinking space of free speech and the intolerance in the country,” she commented.
The attendees expressed concern over the Akademi chief’s silence on the issue claiming it was high time to voice against the injustice. “There is absolute silence by the Akademi and the President has kept mum since September in spite of the killing of likeminded eminent writers. It is high time we rise and voice our concern against the intolerance,” Damodar Mauzo said.
They are nonetheless hopeful that extra ordinary executive council meeting will unequivocally condemn the murders and scuttling of freedom of expression.
Another Konkani Sahitya Puraskar awardee N Shivdas, who had almost announced returning his award, said their fight for justice will continue until IFFI.
The awardees are protesting against the murders of Narendra Dabholkar, Govind Pansare and MM Kalburgi, along with the recent lynching of a Muslim in Dadri.
In a joint statement opposing the silence of the government and Akademi, they said, “We are greatly disturbed by the recent murders of the rationalist intellectuals followed by the recent lynching of a Muslim over suspected beef eating.” The rightwing fanatics have disrupted the music concert and book publication of the Pakistani musician and writer.”
,” adding “During the last 18 months in particular the rabid fundamentalist forces have torn apart composite cultural mosaic of this country. If not contained, they will turn this country into a graveyard of creativity. This will kill scientific temperament and literary and cultural renaissance, ultimately stalling the economic progress of this nation.”
