Monalisa Patsani
Post news network
Bhubaneswar: For the past few months ‘award wapsi’ by writers and artists has been a key talking point across the country. The domino effect started with Hindi writer Uday Prakash handing back his Sahitya Akademi Award in September protesting against the killing of Kannada writer MM Kalburgi. Prakash, the author of books such as Mohandas and Peeli Chhatri Wali Ladli, was in the city to participate in a programme about growing intolerance in the country. He spoke with Orissa POST on award wapsi and the world of writers. Excerpts:
Q: You were the first writer to return a Sahitya Akademi award protesting against intolerance. Did you believe your action would inspire other awardees to follow suit?
It was unexpected. I never thought it would take such proportions. When I returned my award, I was criticised in the beginning. Many said it was just to get media attention and nothing else. I am happy now that not just writers but theatre and film personalities are also supporting the cause. Writers form the mind and voices of a nation; we are a weak community as we don’t have any status. We don’t roam in Z-security.
Recently Jayanta Mohapatra declared he was also going to return the Padmashree awarded to him. I am happy with his support.
Q: How did the killing of Kalburgi affect you, and how did it lead to your decision to return the award?
Kalburgi and I got the Sahitya Akademi award the same year (in 2006). So when he was killed by some miscreants on August 30, it hurt me a lot emotionally. It led me to decide to return the award. Kalburgi was a writer who focused on many issues and used to oppose many things, which is why he became a target
Q Do you feel there is a pattern in the recent killings of writers?
There appears to be a pattern as not only Kalburgi but also other writers have been killed recently. First Narendra Dabholkar, a rationalist and staunch opponent of superstition was murdered August 20, then Govind Pansare who held a secular outlook was killed and then Kalburgi. All of them were at home or taking morning walks when they were murdered. Violence and riots are not new to India but killing writers by marking them individually is criminal.
Q: What is your stand concerning the killers of these writers?
I always believe people who read books would never be involved in violence of any kind or riots. Books make people able and tolerant. Those who killed Kalburgi might have never read his books. If they had, they could never have done such a heinous thing. This is a major problem in across Southeast Asia.
Q: Why is the award wapsi happening now? Why didn’t writers and other personalities do something similar on earlier occasions?
Many people ask me why writers didn’t return their awards during Emergency or protest similarly when violence was being unleashed against Kashmiri Pandits. I tell them during Emergency I was 22 and had no awards in my kitty. But I did write many things against that, and my writings have been translated into different languages.
Q Peeli Chhatri Wali Ladki (2001), is one of your best books. Are you planning a sequel?
I don’t consider it as one my best books because it received much negative reviews and criticism from Hindi writers in its initial days. It became popular only after it was translated in many other languages and got published by penguin. I am planning a sequel, though, and I believe people would love to read it, too.
Q: You received Sahitya Akademi award for Mohandas which is based on a real life story. Tell us something about that?
Mohandas is based on the story of a man from Chhattisgarh, who was the first graduate from a Dalit community in a small village. He was a topper in every exam and applied for many government jobs but our society is such that it never allows poor and deserving persons to grow. Later he found that someone has stolen his identity and was engaged in the job he deserved. That case is still on as the man is still fighting it to prove that he is the actual person and I am still monitoring its progress.
