Hema will return award if SA doesn't take a firm stand today
GOANEWS DESK, PANAJI | 23 October 2015 13:15 ISTGoa’s Sahitya Academy award winner Hema Naik has said she would return her award if the apex literary body of India does not take a formidable stance on the killings of writers at today‘s meeting.
Following a spree of returning awards by Sahitya Academy awards by eminent writers, SA has convened an extra ordinary general body meeting today.
Naik, who is also the member of the advisory committee of the Konkani language on Sahitya Academy, has clearly stated that she will have no option than to follow the spree of returning awards.
“I want a formidable stance of Sahitya Academy on the killings and growing intolerance towards the dissenters. Some statements by SA President are indeed regrettable where he has questioned the intentions of writers who returned awards”, she had said in a letter written to the President of SA.
She has also demanded Sahitya Academy’s intervention into the murders of Dr Narendra Dabholkar, Com Govind Pansare and Prof M M Kalburgi.
“Writers have always fought for the idea of everybody’s India. And they have always questioned the idea of theocracy over democracy. But never in the history the killers and murders of writers have roamed scot free and their fringe groups are yet to be booked under law. And this is a sign of worry where fringe is colliding with the state to destroy dissent.”
Naik, who was part of the group of SA award winners of Goa, has also vowed to put a collective resistance against fundamentalism.
“Like democracy, literature always starts with a note of dissent. Professor Kalburgi was a writer and attack on him is the attack on the free speech. Sahitya Academy may not be a political entity but writing is deeply political. Sahitya Academy, as a highest body of literature in India, must stand for its mandate and existence to protect the literature”, she said.
Naik had received Sahitya Academy award in 2002.
OK. Please return your Award and the cash. Also are you going to resign from the committee as well?