Sahitya Academy failed to condemn murders of writers: Melwyn
GOANEWS DESK, PANAJI | 13 October 2015 15:23 IST
Melwyn Rodrigues, a recipient of Sahitya Academy award and Konkani poet, has said the Sahitya Academy has utterly failed in condemning the heinous crimes in the country that are leading to suppression of basic freedom of writers.
The Mangalore-based writer, in a letter written to Sahitya Academy president Vishwanath Prasad Tiwary, said that the literary fraternity is disappointed with his wilful indifference despite voices of dissent being raised by writers across the country.
(The letter is attached below)
“Am I wrong to presume that the Sahitya Academy has succumbed to pressure now? We writers need an answer”, says Rodrigues, also the president of Kavita Trust.
At the outset, Rodrigues has said that he expected the Sahitya Academy would take the lead in upholding the basic freedom of the writers when M M Kalburgi, the general council member of Sahitya Academy, was murdered, preceded by murders of others intellectuals in the country.
“I expected that Sahitya Academy would take lead at least in organising seminars and workshops throughout the country and sending out a strong message of protest”, he said.
Rodrigues had received the Sahitya Academy award for his poetry collection ‘Prakruticho Paas’ in 2011.
While forwarding a copy of this letter, Rodrigues also told goanews.com that he would abide by whatever decision the Konkani writers take tomorrow in this regard.
The Konkani writers have convened a meeting tomorrow in Panaji to chalk out a joint strategy on the killings of writers and intellectuals.
The issue has arisen with several eminent writers returning their Sahitya Academy awards while some leading writers resigning from the Sahitya Academy committees.
Melwyn letter to Sahitya Academy
