" Sahitya Akademi is not a business house "
Recall the ' Sahitya Akademi's awards waapsi controversy, created by 39 writers in 2015, on the ground of the 'Akademi keeping its lips sealed when the writers' purported " freedom of expression was under attack ".The matter had ever since been under examination by the Parliamentary standing committee of Min of Culture, whose recommendations were recently submitted to Parliament. The report, if implemented, will add salt to writers' injuries.
The Parliamentary panel has recommended the Akademi to get prior undertaking from the shortlisted candidates that they would never return the awards, in future. This would be absurd and would hurt the writers' sensibilities and sensitivities. The awards are intellectual and cannot be treated like land deals or agreements.
It may be noteworthy that the works are judged by a body of independent, eminent persons belonging to all Indian regional languages and English from out of several nominations and entries received by it. The supreme decision maker is a 99-member general council consisting of writers, academicians and apolitical representatives and other literary role models from across the country. The Akademi awards are not State-sponsored honours. These are different from Padma awards bestowed by the Government of India, which, more often than not, are considered discretionary (political)
In view of the above circumstances, accepting recommendation of the Parliamentary Standing committee of the union Min of Culture for getting prior concurrence of the potential recipients, would amount to adding insults to injuries of our compatriots - writers, scholars and literary role models—who have selected their works for awards.
How could the writers be asked to compromise their self-esteem? The candidates should be judged on merits of their works rather than ideological affiliations and liabilities.
Let the law makers take the call and save Indian writers from such indignities.
A K Saxena (A former civil servant)
The Parliamentary panel has recommended the Akademi to get prior undertaking from the shortlisted candidates that they would never return the awards, in future. This would be absurd and would hurt the writers' sensibilities and sensitivities. The awards are intellectual and cannot be treated like land deals or agreements.
It may be noteworthy that the works are judged by a body of independent, eminent persons belonging to all Indian regional languages and English from out of several nominations and entries received by it. The supreme decision maker is a 99-member general council consisting of writers, academicians and apolitical representatives and other literary role models from across the country. The Akademi awards are not State-sponsored honours. These are different from Padma awards bestowed by the Government of India, which, more often than not, are considered discretionary (political)
In view of the above circumstances, accepting recommendation of the Parliamentary Standing committee of the union Min of Culture for getting prior concurrence of the potential recipients, would amount to adding insults to injuries of our compatriots - writers, scholars and literary role models—who have selected their works for awards.
How could the writers be asked to compromise their self-esteem? The candidates should be judged on merits of their works rather than ideological affiliations and liabilities.
Let the law makers take the call and save Indian writers from such indignities.
A K Saxena (A former civil servant)
