New Delhi:
In midst of beef drama and Bihar polls people almost forgot to notice that one after another six acclaimed Indian writers returned their prestigious awards to Sahitya Akademi or resigned from there.
Honour is the biggest commodity, a writer can achieve in his or her life. But what hurts his heart that he decides to return his hard earned ‘Samman’. Many would question if it makes sense to return an award in protest?
As many writers returned their awards to Sahitya Akademi the institution viewed their protests as ‘illogical’ and asked them to remain apolitical. The institution argued that it has no responsibility for government’s action as it itself id an autonomous body and is not completely operated by centre- the point seems valid.
READ ALSO: Nayantara returns Sahitya award, protests rising intolerance
But is it really ‘illogical’ to return an award? Many argue that can’t the writers just keep writing and continue their fight with their pens?
A writer by nature is a dissident, a person who deters to write something which clicks, something through which he lends a voice to the unheard. These writers have achieved uttermost successes not because they respected what the government or society has already planned for them, but because they invaded the long followed procedures and dared to speak against them.
Now, if a situation arises where a writer’s institution-through which he or she aims to speak against the uneven-fails to protect even her personal individual rights, he is left with no moral option but to resign. Now, we should re-question how justified is the resigning.
It happens when a writer feels that society and moreover politics are ignoring the voices and are empathetic toward her clamors writings.
READ ALSO: Writers step up protest, 5 more return Akademi award
It isn’t the first time a writer has used the tool of returning an honour show dissidence. In 2010, veteran Hindi author Krishna Sobti and Bengali playwright Badal Sircar refused Padma Bhushans. Arundhati Roy declined the Sahitya Akademi award in 2006 too.
There are even those who refused Nobles. Jean-Paul Sartre the French philosopher in 1964 refused Nobel because he didn’t like it to be added to his name.
Many have supported the protest, many criticized it but as they say there is no smoke without fire. Protests from the biggest preachers of freedom of speech and expression is surely not a good sign for a healthy democracy.
Writers’ status in India has gone from bad to worst. People who are mostly ignored in glitz of media and politics, often considered irrelevant when they protest. When analysts and commentators of the society are considered as surplus in the system, it becomes very easy to criticize them for returning what they have achieved. Sadly, in society’s eyes their awards or even they themselves have a very minimal value.
