New Delhi: Calling it is high time for free expression in India, controversial writer and Booker Prize winning author Salman Rushdie today came in support of the writers returning their Sahitya Akademi Awards in protest against the murder of Kannada scholar M M Kalburgi and other incidents of intolerance.
The British-Indian novelist’s support came on a day when 13 more writers announced their decision to return Sahitya Akademi Awards.
Joining the league in solidarity, theatre artist Maya Krishna Rao also announced her decision to return Sangeet Natak Akademi Award in protest against the lynching of Mohammed Akhlaq in Dadri and the “overall rising intolerance” in the country.
“I support #NayantaraSahgal and the many other writers protesting to the Sahitya Akademi. Alarming times for free expression in India” Rushdie tweeted.
“Here come the Modi Toadies. FYI, Toadies: I support no Indian political party & oppose all attacks on free speech. Liberty is my own party,” the eminent author tweeted about half an hour later, apparently responding to those attacking him for his support to the Indian writers.
Those who announced their decision to return their awards included Hindi poet Mangalesh Dabral, Kashmiri writer Ghulam Nabi Khayal, Urdu novelist Rahman Abbas, Hindi writer Rajesh Joshi, Kannada scholar G N Ranganatha Rao as well as five Punjabi authors and poets Waryam Singh Sandhu, Surjit Patar, Baldev Singh Sadaknama, Jaswinder and Darshan Buttar also said they would return their awards as a mark of their protest against spread of “communal poison” and “rising intolerance” in the country.
“Rationalists, creative artists, thinkers, dissenters, activists have faced threats and even been murdered. On a carefully-orchestrated malicious rumour in Dadri village an ironsmith was lynched and killed. The government has failed to speak up for the rights of the citizens in disturbing incidents such as these,” Rao said in her letter to Sangeet Natak Akademi secretary Helen Acharya .
In Hosapete, Ballari district, Rahamath Tarikere joined the growing list of writers returning their Central Sahitya Akademi awards.
In Shivamogga, Muddu Thirthahalli, who had won Karnataka Sahitya Akademi award for her literary work titled ‘Ondu Chandrana Tundu,’ an anthology of essays, in 2011, has decided to return the award.