Noted Malayalam novelist Sarah Joseph on Saturday said she has decided to return her Kendra Sahitya Academy award in protest against the ‘terror-like’ situation prevailing in the country. Joseph had bagged the academy award in 2003 for her novel Aalahayude Penmakkal (Daughters of God, the father).
Joseph said the prevailing situation in the country was appalling. “Writers are murdered and the right to eat what one wants is denied. This is a deliberate attempt to shatter the plurality of Indian society. As a writer, I have to strongly react to this. The Prime Minister remained silent for nine days after the Dadri incident. I am giving back the award in protest against the stand of the Union government,” she said. Joseph had contested the Lok Sabha elections in 2014 as an AAP candidate.
Joining her, another noted poet from Kerala K Satchidanandan, resigned from his official posts in Sahitya Akademi committees. He had earlier asked the Akademi to pass a resolution against them killing of Kalburgi.
Joseph is the latest to join a protest by writers and poets who have resigned and turned down honours in recent weeks. On Friday, novelist Shashi Deshpande offered her resignation from the Sahitya Akademi General Council denouncing “growing intolerance” in the country. Urdu novelist Rehman Abbas also returned his 2011 Sahitya Akademi Award on the same day.
Earlier, noted writers Nayantara Sahgal and poet Ashok Vajpeyi had returned their literary honours to protest what they termed as an “assault on <g data-gr-id="23">right</g> to freedom of both life and expression”.